A Love That Defies All Logic
by liljenrocks
Summary: Wolf Territory-A spin-off from "Love You For Always," this is Ava's tale...a tale of loss and a love that defies all reason and logic.
1. Moving Day

**AN: I own nothing, no vampires are mine, no wolves, either. They either belong to SM or to Ninadoll! However, Abby, Ava, Ashley, and Mitch belong to me!**

**Hello all! This is a spin-off of my story, **_**Love You For Always**_**, a story about Seth and his imprint, Abigail O'Brien. This centers on Ava, Abby's younger sister. **

**A very special thanks to Ninadoll for betaing, creating the universe, and for her support. Please check out her stories **_**The Rest of Forever**_** and **_**Love You For Always**_** and Ninadoll's **_**How Wonderful Life Is, Now You're in the World.**_** She is extraordinarily talented and you won't be disappointed. **

**To see pictures of Ava and her sisters' lives, please check out my blog at liljenrocks{dot}blogspot{dot}com or my homepage at****liljenrocks{dot}web{dot}com. Including pictures of the move, Ava, and Mitch!**

**Please, please, please review! Thank you to all of you who added me or the story to your favorites. You guys rock!**

**I hope you enjoy! Thank you again!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 1: MOVING DAY**

**AVA'S POV**

This was a bad idea. No, scratch that, this was the worst idea…ever. At this point, though, I didn't care. It was Friday, the last day of school. And while everyone else said goodbye for the summer, I was giving my boyfriend, Mitch, the biggest send-off of all. My first mistake in a long line of mistakes that made this day the worst of my life since my parents died, was ditching said last day. Who knew they actually took roll on the last day of school? Mistake number two was deciding to give said send-off in my sister's bedroom.

"You look really sexy in your school uniform," Mitch breathed into my ear as I slid my skirt off from underneath him.

"Catholic school uniform seems to do it for you?" I asked, immediately plunging my hand down his navy blue slacks. This wasn't my first time. I'd lost my virginity to Mitch about six months ago during Thanksgiving Break when I honestly felt I had little to be thankful for. And Mitch was, well, quite the catch. I was a sophomore, he was a senior. Add to that his all-American boy charming good looks, his athletic scholarship to Boston College, where he would play quarterback on the football team, and I would've donated a kidney to the boy if he needed one. I was more than smitten. But when the New Year rolled around and my older sister, Abby, made it clear that she didn't like Mitch, I started my rebellious stage.

First, I joined the school newspaper, and I was actually pretty good at it, if I do say so myself. Crabby Abby, as I called her, didn't mind that. What she didn't know, though, was that the sole purpose of me joining the paper, was so I could do the sports page, giving me an excuse to stay after school and watch all the football practices. It wasn't a requirement, but I wanted to be thorough. Not to mention the quickies under the bleachers after practices.

Second, I started sneaking out or rather lying to Abby. I would tell her I was going to the mall with my friend at the time, Teresa, and then I would go over to Mitch's and do God-knows what. This was all well and good and I had been able to hide it all from my prying, authoritative sister.

The third thing, the earliest thing to happen before the incident I'm in the process of describing, was a pregnancy scare over Easter. Mitch and I hadn't been the safest couple when it came to sex. This was something I could've handled. I mean, one visit to the Oklahoma County Health Department and I would've been free and clear. I just didn't do it, and then after months of _doing it_, I was approached with the possibility of being a teenage mom. That crisis was averted, however, when I managed to somehow get my period a week late.

Which leads me back to my sister's bed. Abby's bed was bigger and had more leverage, meaning it actually had things to grab onto. That was something too, knowing Abby was a virgin, that was almost like rubbing it in her face, you know? It sounds horrible to say, especially since I've grown to think of Abby as my best friend, but I was bitter and angry and I just needed a release. I found that release in Mitch and sex.

While Mitch was quite a looker, he was kinda vanilla in bedroom. Not that I knew any different, I just knew comparing notes with my girlfriends it was probably supposed to last longer than two minutes and he probably wasn't supposed to cry afterwards. He wasn't the smartest cookie, either, so when I would yell or moan "harder!" he was so concentrated on making sure he was doing everything right, that it hardly was worth much. But, in all honesty, more than anything, I did it for the connection, the need to be close to someone else.

"Pull my knees up," I groaned as Mitch slid into me. He was hesitant at first, I'm sure thinking about what he was doing but then he ran his hand down my thigh, pulling it up to meet his chest. He was grunting already and I was just barely feeling anything.

"You're so fucking sexy, Ava, baby," he groaned and I felt my hand travel down my abdomen in between us. If he was gonna get his, I was gonna get mine. I touched myself as he kept thrusting and grunting.

"Oooohhhh," I moaned, drawing it out as I arched my back off the bed.

"Already?" Mitch asked, like he was one to talk.

"Just finish," I groaned feeling my body start to shudder like it did right before I released.

This is the part where the big error occurs. For my whole life, I always knew when Abby was around. I don't know how or why, I just did. I could feel her presence. This day, however, my Abby-dar was off and as I felt myself get closer to my orgasm, Abby's bedroom door opened. I caught her eyes immediately. "Fuck!" I screamed.

"Did you just come?" Mitch asked while he kept thrusting.

I could see Abby fuming, steam was practically blowing out of her ears, and, though she'd never been a violent person before, she was pissed. I watched her pick up Mitch's shoe from the doorway and chunk it, hard, at the back of Mitch's head.

"What the—" Mitch didn't get to finish the sentence. He pulled out of me and turned to meet Abby's tirade.

"OUT OF MY HOUSE!" Abby screamed, throwing random things at the naked teenage boy. "NOW!"

I was frozen, couldn't move, and I noticed Abby's seething causing tears to accumulate in her eyes.

"Abigail!" Mitch pulled on his boxers.

"NO! YOU DON'T TALK!" Abby yelled. This wasn't supposed to be funny, I mean, Mitch was my boyfriend and I was supposed to have some compassion for the situation he was in. Sure, I knew I was probably going to be grounded till kingdom come, but it was actually amusing watching Abby pick up every article of clothing she'd thrown that belonged to Mitch, opening up her second story bedroom window, and throwing all of it into Sadie's poop pile.

"I'm really sorry, I—" Mitch started again, but Officer Abby was having none of that.

"I said, you don't talk! I'll let you explain all of this to your parents!" she kept yelling as I pulled the sheets up to cover myself. I thought maybe I was just gonna slip under the covers and she'd forget about me. No such luck. "Ava Caroline, you put your damn clothes on, strip this bed, and put the sheets in the washer. Then you meet me in the dining room." Her voice was colder than I'd ever heard Abby's voice get. She'd always been solid, comforting, compassionate. I'd been taking advantage of that and now it was going to bite me in the ass.

"I'll call you," Mitch leaned in to kiss my cheek.

"No you won't. Ava no longer has any form of communication with the outside world, unless you know of a good carrier pigeon service," Abby grabbed Mitch's ear like I'd seen a few of the nuns at Mercy High do on more than one occasion.

"Ow! Ow! Ow!" he yelped. "You're gonna hurt me and I won't be able to play football!"

"You're lucky I'm letting you keep any of your body parts, you filthy cretin!" Abby's voice got louder with almost ever syllable and I knew I should probably be praying that my sister didn't skin me alive. I figured I wouldn't give her anything else to add to my list of sins and I did as she said, stripping the bed. I wrapped myself with a blanket and tiptoed down the hall to my bedroom where I threw on some sort of clothing. I could hear Abby yelling now, but no one was answering so I assumed she must have been talking to Mitch's parents on the phone.

I tried to teeter ever so slightly down the stairs but Abby saw me and she jabbed her finger at the dining room table as she dialed another number. I held the sheets up to show her I was still doing my chore and she rolled her eyes, pacing. "Aunt Tess?" she said. "Our conversation earlier," she paused. "End of the month…I'll explain to you later, when the culprit's not in the room."

I put the sheets in the washer and headed back to the Abby Inquisition. She was off the phone now, sitting and looking down at the table. "What did Aunt Tess have to say?" I asked, sliding into a seat on the other end of the table.

Abby's eyes didn't look up as she tapped the phone on the table. "Do you remember when Mom and Dad died? Do you remember what the Aunts wanted to do? With you and Ashley?"

My hope was this was a rhetorical question and I didn't have to say anything. Of course I remembered the death of our parents. That's not exactly something you forget. And I remembered everything that happened after, especially my Uncle Rob holding back Aunt Tess to keep her from punching Aunt Lydia. "They wanted to split us up. I was supposed to go with Aunt Lydia and Ashley with Aunt Tess."

"And what did I say, Ava?"

"You said there was no way and hell that was ever going to happen," I stuttered now for some reason as I heard Abby composing herself.

"Because you two were all I had left. And I was determined to keep my only family together, and in my crazy mind, Ava, I thought that you and Ash would realize this wasn't going to be easy but that we'd have to work together to make it," she still wouldn't look at me and I could hear tears in her voice. "You were the only pieces of Mom and Dad that I had that meant anything," she whispered before taking a deep breath.

"Wait," I stopped her. I finally stopped for a minute and panicked at what she might be saying. "Do they want to separate us again?"

She didn't answer me. "I got a call last week from Sister Thaddeus, and apparently Aunt Tess did too. Our family had so much faith in me they decided to have a backup in case I failed. And do you know what Sister Thaddeus said?" I shook my head. "She said that the teachers were a little concerned because they had noticed a change in your grades and that you'd been missing school," Abby chose that time to look up at me. "And I thought, you know, part of this is probably normal. A little bit of rebellion nothing we can't handle." She put her head in her hands. "Aunt Tess said, 'you should come here where I can help you.' And I said thanks but no thanks. Now, Ava, I look like a fool."

"No, I—"

"Yes I do. I stood up for you, I believed that you would make the right decisions, eventually. I knew you were lying to me, I knew you were sneaking out and part of me knew that you were probably having sex. But what happened today, never in a million years would I have thought you'd resorted to skipping school to come back home and have sex in my bedroom. I'd even lay off the ranting about Mitch because I thought maybe that would deter your relationship. A lot of good that did," she scoffed.

"Abby, I didn't mean—"

"You didn't mean for me to catch you, I get that," she shook her head again.

"No, I didn't mean—"

"We have two choices now, Ava. One, you go to Florida with the Aunt Lydia, Ashley goes to Washington, and I stay here. Or, we all go to Washington. That's it, there no other option," Abby was crying now and I couldn't look her in the eye. "I-I-I c-can't d-do it anymore. I d-don't know w-what else I c-can do. And I just wish, I wish Mom and Dad were here."

I moved closer to her end of the table. "You're doing the best you can," I tried to sound comforting.

"But it's not good enough," she shook her head. "So tell me what you want. Do you want to be separated?"

I grabbed her hand. "No, Abby! I don't, I don't want us to be without each other."

"Then tell me," she was waiting for me to give her a definite answer, she wanted me to make this decision. She knew I hated Forks, I loathed the town where our Aunt Tess and Uncle Rob lived and all I wanted wasto stay here. I would be leaving my friends, Mitch, everything. But I would do it if I got to keep my family.

"We can go," I whispered.

"You realize that we'll have to leave by the end of the month, that it's not temporary. We go, it's for good," Abby's voice was steady and I knew she meant business.

I took a deep breath. This was going to suck. But could I really be too pissed, I mean, it was my fault after all. "It's fine. We'll deal. I'll deal with that God-forsaken town." I thought I felt myself growl.

"Good, I'll call Tess," Abby picked the phone back up, I didn't want to hear anything she was saying because this was totally going to ruin my life. I stayed in my room for most of the next few weeks, listening as everyone packed up. Aunt Shannon was sad to see us go but she also knew why we were leaving. Ashley, being Ashley, was excited to go. It didn't take much to please her though. Just throw a tutu on a dog and you've made Ashley's day. She didn't get the absolute horror of Forks, Washington, where everyone would know us and our story and we'd become those sad little orphans everyone felt sorry for. This was going to suck ass.

The moving truck wasn't even a minute late. We were keeping the house in Oklahoma and only taking clothes and a few other things that had been passed down for generations like really important furniture or jewelry. Abby had made us a promise when we move from our first house that anytime we moved we would be able to completely redo our bedrooms. So our beds stayed in Oklahoma with the understanding that when we had a house in Forks, we'd get to redesign our rooms however we wanted. Of course that didn't make up for the fact that we were being ripped from the only home we knew.

"So, I guess you're leaving?" Mitch was leaning against the U-Haul van. This seems like a great time to point out the fact that Mitch was not the smartest apple in the bunch. He was leaning against a U-Haul van and he had to ask if we were moving?

"Yeah," I said.

"So, um, I guess we're breaking up then," he said, more like a statement than a question.

I was a little confused. "We don't have to. I mean, we can try the long distance thing. If you want," I was really hoping he would.

Mitch leaned forward. "Look, Ava. You're a nice girl and all but I think we've run our course. I'm gonna be going to college, you're gonna be in Oregon—"

"Washington," I corrected him, trying to control my temper.

"Right, and I just think, you know, we'd be better off, both of us, if we just called it quits while we're ahead," he put his hand on my shoulder. "It's just better this way."

My blood was starting to boil. Seriously? Did he not know that I could do soooo much better than him? I was not the type of girl to take that laying down, so to speak and as he turned to walk away, I let loose. "Better for you!"

He turned back to me. "Don't make a scene, Ava. 'Sides, I think your sister's ready to go," Mitch smirked. "I'll always remember you."

"Bullshit!" I yelled, taking my hand and slapping it across his cheek. "You're an asshole! You know that! And I hope you go to Boston and fall on your ass during the first big snowstorm! And…And I hope you get herpes!" I spun on my heels, Abby watching me intently, hiding a grin and a nodding. I stomped my feet to my car, climbing in the front seat and honking the horn three times. "Let's get the hell out of here!"

Abby said a final goodbye, while Uncle Joe checked the hitch on the trailer that carried Abby's Subaru behind the U-Haul. She was still talking but Mitch just marred my endearment for our old house and hometown so I pulled out of the driveway with another honk. I could see the tears in Abby's eyes as she hugged Chloe tight, both sobbing. They were really close and I have to admit, the fact that Chloe was the only one that really _got_ Abby made me insanely jealous. She was a better sister to my sister than I was.

"G-O! It's going to take forever!" I screamed out the window. Abby let go of Chloe and jumped into the U-Haul, beginning the O'Brien sisters exodus of Oklahoma. I made the drive hopped up on Dr. Pepper and Funyuns, thankful to be by myself in the car, listening to my new iPod Playlists that I had entitled "Kiss My Ass, Mitch Magee." It was a compilation of songs about female empowerment and the demise of men everywhere. It kept me awake and made the drive less loathsome.

It took two days to drive from our former residence in Oklahoma City to the metropolis that is Forks, Washington. Abby was tired, exhausted and I could see a part of her was more broken than it ever had been. And while I despised the fact I was stuck in the Godforsaken place, I hoped that maybe there would be something special here for her.

We stayed at Aunt Tess's house for the month of June while Abby searched out a house for us and then worked on finalizing contracts and such. She found somewhere to start her vet clinic and enrolled us in school. The house actually wasn't half bad and it was a lot more modern than our house in Oklahoma ever thought about being. I had a large room, decorated to my taste as Abby promised, and before long we were settling in, though I refused to believe that Forks was home. The upside to this catastrophic move was that I would get to work for Aunt Tess at her bakery. I learned a lot from her and it was like my Mom's spirit was with me even more around her sister.

It was at said bakery that I met one of my two best friends, Claire Munholland. She was ordering a cake for her sister's birthday and I was looking for anyone normal in this town. We were instantly friends. I spent almost everyday of the rest of the summer with Claire and her lug of a crush, Quil, who, I have to admit was sex-on-a-stick. I owe a lot to Claire. She kept me sane. And she introduced me to the person that would change my life forever.

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**A few notes…Mercy High in Oklahoma City doesn't exist but it is loosely based on a school in OKC. I hope you guys keep reading this as well as Abby's story, **_**Love You For Always**_** and Ninadoll's **_**How Wonderful Life Is, Now You're in the World.**_


	2. Wolf Day

**AN: I own nothing, no vampires are mine, no wolves, either. They either belong to SM or to Ninadoll! However, Abby, Ava, Ashley, and Mitch belong to me!**

**A very special thanks to Ninadoll for betaing, creating the universe, and for her support. Please check out her stories **_**The Rest of Forever**_** and **_**Love You For Always**_** and Ninadoll's **_**How Wonderful Life Is, Now You're in the World.**_** She is extraordinarily talented and I'm honored to be a part of her universe! Check out her stories and you won't be disappointed. **

**To see pictures of Ava and her sisters' lives, please check out my blog at liljenrocks{dot}blogspot{dot}com or my homepage at****liljenrocks{dot}web{dot}com. Including pictures of the bonfire. **

**Please, please, please review! Thank you to all of you who added me or the story to your favorites. You guys rock! I apologize if my review replies are delayed!**

**I hope you enjoy! Thank you again!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 2: WOLF DAY**

**AVA'S POV**

"What exactly does one wear to a bonfire?" I asked Claire. I had been flipping through my closet for what seemed like hours. Claire looked fun in her black tights and wolf t-shirt dress. She had a thing for wolves that I didn't quite understand. She always looked cool, even when she was dressed for school or walking Quil's dog, she looked so unique and fun. I was insanely jealous.

"Just wear jeans and a t-shirt. It's not formal," Claire joined me next to the closet. "How's the whole Abby-Seth thing going?"

I shrugged. "I think it's okay. I mean, Abby doesn't really date. She hasn't, even when she was in high school."

"Are you telling me Dr. Abby is a virgin?" Claire gave me a mischievous smile.

I couldn't help but giggle. "Yeah, but don't be mean about it. I have a feeling Seth might just be the one to break the chastity spell."Claire pulled out a white long-sleeved t-shirt with the word 'LOVE' on it.

"Wear this. There's gonna be lots of single guys there. Maybe you'll get lucky," she wriggled her eyebrows and then went to flop herself down on the sofa in my room. "So, speaking of, we've not had that awkward convo."

"Which one?" I asked while I pulled the shirt on over my jeans and searched for my red ballet flats.

"Well, the one where I ask you to help me seduce Quil," Claire said, propping herself up on her elbows and smirked. I chuckled at her and threw a shirt from the floor in her general direction. "You think I'm kidding?" I nodded to her. "Hell no, I'm not! I wanna have sex and I wanna have with Quil!"

"Quil?" I ran a tube of red lip gloss over my lips. "He's old."

Now it was her turn to giggle. "Nah. Plus, we kinda belong together. And tell me, honestly, would you not have sex with that hunk of a studmuffin? Cuz one look at him, all shirtless," she was staring off and licked her lips. "He's like a…thing all hand-chiseled and buff and I wanna lick his chest all the way down to his—"

"Girls?" Abby said while she knocked on my bedroom door interrupting Claire mid-fantasy.

"Yeah, Abbs. We'll be right down," I smirked at Claire. "You were saying?"

Claire scoffed. "Bottomline is this. You've had sex, I haven't. The only person in the world I want to have sex with is Quil. And I need you to help me get in said loverboy's pants."

I grabbed my bag and Claire's hand as we took the steps two at a time. "You don't need my help. You just need the right timing is all. I can tell the lug absolutely adores you so just be patient." I managed to get the last of it out as we got the bottom of the stairs. Abby was helping Ashley put on her coat while Seth hovered near. Quil's eyes immediately brightened when he caught sight of Claire and I remembered another reason I was insanely jealous of Claire. Quil practically worshipped the ground she walked on and I couldn't find a guy to take me to the movies and she had one willing to take her to Mars, even if that meant inventing a whole new ship just to get there.

"I missed you," Quil smiled as he lifted Claire and swung her around. Claire giggled and I could see the way she was clutching his neck like she couldn't get close enough. It was very intriguing to see. It made me extraordinarily jealous. Well, even more so than I already was. "Ava, you ready for your first official bonfire?"

"Uh, sure," I replied.

"I'm nervous," I heard Abby whisper to Seth.

"Don't be," Seth said, kissing her lightly on the lips. Great, now I was jealous of my virgin sister, dammit! It was quite amazing to see them too. Seth looked at her like she was the most precious of rubies, a diamond that couldn't be bought, like he wanted so much more than any type of sex or anything. He…he just wanted her, her mind, her heart, her soul. And that was a type of love I'd never seen or had before. I knew that wasn't at all what I had with Mitch and if I ever had that with anyone, I'd marry them before they could so much as breathe another breath.

"You're riding with Quil and Claire?" Abby asked. We were locking up the house and heading to the cars. Claire's Mini Cooper already running.

"Yep, that would be the plan," I smirked. "We'll be right behind you and Quil will be there to make sure we have absolutely zero percent fun."

"Hey, now," Quil chuckled.

Abby gave him a look that I swear could've stopped someone's heart. If there was anything I knew, it was that Abby was very suspicious of Quil…very suspicious. I could've been too, but he was just too good to Claire to be.

We followed close behind Abby and Seth as we drove to First Beach in La Push but as soon as we arrived at our destination, I went with Claire to meet several of the other young people, sitting around a smaller campfire off to the side. This small fire was the place where I met _him_. He was sullen and looked like someone had kicked his puppy but he was the most beautiful male I'd ever seen.

"Scar, this is Ava," Claire said. I blushed. Goddammit, I, Ava Caroline O'Brien, hard-skinned, no nonsense Ava, blushed.

"Hey," the Scar boy said as he put his hand out for me to shake. I took it and lightly shook.

I wanted to kick Claire because I'd not heard a single word about this magnificent specimen of the male sex. "It's nice to meet you," I said.

"Nice accent," he smiled. "Oklahoma, right?"

"Yep," I grinned.

"I've never been there before," he said. Claire grabbed my hand and pulled me to the side.

She smiled at me. "That's the first time I've ever seen Scar smile."

I glanced back at Scar, his eyes stuck on the fire. He had a look that I had seen before. It was a look I recognized because it was a look I saw everyday when I looked at myself in the mirror. He looked broken. Just like me. He was sitting on a log by himself and he leaned his head back to look at the stars. The fire made his chin glow but the moon cast a dark shadow on him. I would learn in time that it was much like him, able to glow but the dark always close behind. The stars, though, made his eyes sparkle more than the fire and I knew there was hope. That even in the darkness, there was a flicker, a twinkle of hope. There was hope that we could save each other, maybe.

"Do you go to La Push High?" I asked him after I pulled away from Claire.

"Yeah," he answered simply.

"And you live here on the reservation?"

"Yep," he answered shortly. "You wanna sit?" He gestured to the log beside him.

I nodded. "So, um, what do you do for fun?"

He shrugged, "I go to school, then go to Jake and Nessie's where Ness helps me study. And then I work."

"What do you do?" I asked. Scar handed me a graham cracker and a marshmallow. "Thanks."

"I, um, I work for Jake," he broke off a few pieces of a Hershey's bar and handed it to me and then handed me a stick to raost the marshmallow on.

"On bikes?" my damn marshmallow caught on fire and I tried not to panic when I pulled it out of the fire. "Damn, damn, damn!" I started waving the stick but the flames didn't stop at all.

Scar grabbed the stick from my hand and blew hard until the flame was out and all that existed was a black charred shell of sugar. It was a great disappointment when all I wanted was a nice melty, thick, golden-brown marshmallow. I sighed. Damn. "I'll eat it. You can have a new one," Scar handed me a fresh white pillow of sugar.

"Thanks, but you don't have to—"

Scar lifted the blackened marshmallow to his lips and almost swallowed it whole. "Mmm…" he moaned in pleasure.

I went on to make a fresh s'more, followed by some of the best conversations I'd had with anyone since we'd moved to this hellhole. We talked about life, about school, and other things. Things were going well and I felt a better sense of belonging here than I think I had anywhere. Abby felt the need to remind me twice of my curfew, like I could ever forget. This added onto the announcement of Chief Swan's engagement to Seth's mom, which I thought was weird, because, let's face it, old people getting it on…gross. The crowd started thinning out and I watched Quil innocently chasing Claire, though I was pretty sure she was flirting with him.

"We should hang out sometime," I said surprising myself with my boldness. "Not like a date, it's just, you're the first person I've really been able to talk to." But then it happened.

"Why'd your family move here?" he asked the question I had been dreading.

My head shot down. I could taste the blood in my mouth too when I chewed on my lip. How he didn't know this story was beyond me, it seemed like the whole fucking state of Washington knew, but apparently he didn't. "Um, my parents died and I got in a little trouble so, um, we had to move here."

A long silence set in, neither one of said a word and I started to freak out a little. What the hell? Things were going so well. We were talking, not in a way where I thought we might be dating at anytime, but like he was the truest of friends. The last few people walked off and it was just me and Scar. Claire and Quil were off to the side, sitting on a log and hugging while they looked at the ocean in front of them.

"Okay, well," I started to get up but he grabbed my hand.

"I'm sorry. Don't go," Scar said and I looked into his sad eyes. I nodded and sat back down. "I know how you feel, more than you know." He didn't say much else that night and I was more curious than ever to find out what he missed so much that made him so sad and lonely. And just as I was about to ask, Claire and Quil announced it was time to go.

But Scar became a constant in my life. I honestly saw him everyday, I think. He would show up at the bakery and we would talk while he watched me frost cakes or cut out cookies. More than that though, he became my confidant, I trusted him with more than I think anyone else in the world, ever. Probably even more than Claire.

It was one day at the bakery that I found out just what was eating at Scar's heart. I was pressing forks into the top of peanut butter cookies. Anytime I did anything at the bakery, Scar usually sat on the counter or stood in the corner but today he joined me, taking the fork and pressing the dough. "Peanut butter cookies were Megan's favorites. She'd take two and put grape jelly between them. I haven't had one in a long time," Scar looked at the dough in front of him.

Who the fuck was Megan? What, was she like his ex-girlfriend? Or, well, what else could she be?

"Who's Megan?" I asked. His eyes weren't stone cold like they usually were, they were soft and light, more caring than ever.

"Megan was…my sister," he sighed, still keeping his eyes on the cookie dough. This was confusing because, for all the time that I'd known him, I hadn't heard a single mention of any sister. Plus, he said "was," as in past tense. "She died…when she was eight."

"I've never heard you talk about her," I said, my voice was a little more than a whisper and I couldn't help but want to put my arms around him and hold him. I was right. He was broken. We were two broken pieces both looking for a little super glue to put us back together.

"I don't talk about her because it still hurts," Scar said. He put the fork down and looked at me. "We were playing at the park and she ran to chase after a ball. The car didn't have time to stop." He turned around. "Pretty much everything in my life started to suck after that. My mother left, my father lost it. And the only thing I had was myself. I had to keep it all together and hope that could make Megan proud." When he turned back to me, he was hiding tears and I wanted to tell him to stop hiding, I'd cried in front of him, he was one of only a handful of people that had ever seen me cry. But seeing him cry broke my heart in so many ways.

I put my hand on his arm but didn't feel close enough to him. I came around the counter and put my arms around his waist, I couldn't reach his neck, and I knew I wanted to hug him. I held him close and he wrapped his arms around me. It wasn't anything more than a friendly hug that I think we were both in desperate need of. Neither of us cried, we just hugged. He was warm and comforting and I felt like I could melt into him. But he was just my friend, nothing more. That was the last day I saw that sort of emotion from him until the day I call "Wolf Day."

It all started with a boy. His name was Hunter and he was a "friend" of Lil' G's. I hadn't dated or kissed or even showed interest in anyone since Mitch. Things at home had been crazy lately and Ashley was recovering from an appendectomy and the near-death experience that accompanied it. Luckily, I was given the day off while Seth and Abby took Ash to the movies in Port Angeles. That was another thing that had changed. Seth had pretty well started using our address, he was at our house all the time. It was fine with me, I didn't mind, Seth made Abby happy and Dr. Abby wasn't a virgin anymore. None of that mattered right now.

We had met one afternoon when Lil' G and Hunter were hanging out at First Beach. Hunter's hands were soft and his lips were like butter. He had piercing blue eyes that offset his tan skin and my fingers loved his hair. We had met less than 24-hours ago but I was comfortable with him. We sat in the backseat of his Jeep and I promised that I wouldn't let this go too far but at the present, I was on my back, Hunter between my legs. It was a freaking intense make-out session and the windows were all fogged up.

"Can I touch you?" Hunter pulled away to ask. It was kind of a pointless question since he'd already put his hand on my boobs. He squeezed lightly and I moaned into his mouth as he placed it back on mine. He kissed me harder and started to grind into me. It felt good, fuck, it felt euphoric, but it didn't feel right.

"I think we need to slow down," I said, shoving him off me and sitting up to pull my pink sweater down.

"Why?" he asked. I didn't like the look on his face either. "You started this, remember?" That was true, I had started it. In my need to feel something again, I somehow thought that meant maybe getting it on in Hunter's Jeep but, like I said, something wasn't right. "Come on, just one more kiss?" He gave me puppy dog eyes and I caved, leaning in for another kiss. Hunter started pushing again, too much.

"Stop," I said, pushing back.

He looked annoyed. "Are we gonna fuck or what? I thought that's what this whole thing was about? Am I mistaken or are you not easy?" The moment the words came out of his mouth, I wanted to punch him. But the Jeeps door pulled open and a long strong arm pulled Hunter out of the car.

"What the fuck?!" I yelled and jumped over the seat to see Scar pounding Hunter's face.

"Do you have no manners, you motherfucker?" Scar was hitting him with such force, it scared me.

"Stop, Scar," I started to rush to him but out of nowhere, Lil' G came and pushed him off of Hunter.

"You're gonna kill him, dude," Lil' G was pulling on Scar, who was breathing heavy and unsteady. His body was shaking and the glare he was throwing at Hunter was for sure a look of death.

"Stay out of it," Scar's chest was shaking now.

"Scar, calm down," I was trying to get close again.

"Stay away, Ava," Lil' G held me back just as I heard Hunter's Jeep peel out of the parking lot. _Great, he left me!_

"You fucker! Why the hell did you do that?!" I was angrier than I'd been in a long time. Who did he think he was? Like I didn't have it perfectly under control?

"Shut up!" Scar was blurring and I tried to get closer again but Lil' G pulled harder on me.

"You're gonna get yourself killed. Stop trying to touch him," Lil' G said.

"Who the hell do you think you are? I'm not your girlfriend, I'm not your sister—" I was just about to open my mouth again to continue my tirade, thinking of some horrible obscenity to yell at the boy that had just, well, cockblocked me, when Scar, the boy I knew as Scar, blurred in front of me even more and with one breath, he was no longer in front of me. A huge, silver grey wolf stood, bearing his teeth. "Holy Mother…" and then I passed out, the nightmare of the terrorist wolf rolling around in my subconscious.

"Ava? Can you hear me? I need you to open your eyes. Take a deep breath." I knew that voice. "Come on, Ave." That was Seth and I slowly opened my eyes. I was lying on a sofa in a beautiful living room, Seth leaning over me, looking at my pupils. I immediately panicked.

"Where's the wolf? He has to be stopped! He was…he ate Scar!" I screamed and tried to get off the sofa I was lying on.

"Calm down, Ava, calm down," Seth said, trying to restrain me again. "Scar's alright, he's outside with Jake."

"But how? I saw it, Seth. I saw it. One minute he was Scar, and the next there was an evil wolf in front of me!" I was screaming still.

"The wolf wasn't evil, trust me. But I think Scar wants to talk to you, so lay back down and I'll go get him," Seth handed me a Kleenex and I realized I was crying and my body started to wrack with sobs.

"No, I…where the fuck is Scar?" I panicked again. I needed to see my best friend for some assurance that he was somehow okay. I highly doubted it though because I had seen that big ass wolf and he was terrifying.

He moved quickly though and before I knew it, Scar was in front of me. I launched myself into his arms and grabbed hold of his neck just like Claire always did with Quil. "It's okay, Ave. I'm right here," Scar rubbed my back and I held him like he might disappear.

"The wolf…" I held back another sob but refused to let him go. Until it hit me, until I remembered what I'd seen. The shaking, the blurring…the shredding of the clothes. "You. You're the wolf, but…how?"

Scar glanced at Seth as Jake walked into the room. "Am I allowed to tell her?" I heard Scar ask. Jake scoffed.

"She saw you phase and she can clearly put the pieces together, so yeah, I think you better fucking tell her," Jake didn't look too happy, something completely uncharacteristic for him. "Unless you want me to do it?" Scar nodded leaving Jake to tell me the tale of Quileute legends, wolves, and vampires. I was pretty sure that maybe Seth had slipped me some sort of narcotic for me to actually be hearing this but the more I saw the look of total sincerity on Jake's face and the look of pure fear on Scar's face, made it more than clear that this was the truth, all of it. All the craziness, all the words of humans transforming, magic behind it, all of it was real. Fucked up, but real.

"So let me see if I get this right," I paced back and forth, simultaneously licking my lips. "All you guys, you all have this gene that makes you transform into a wolf?"

"That's about the gist of it, yeah," Jake answered, looking at Scar.

"All of you?" my eyes roamed to Seth who was trying a little too hard not to look at me.

"Yes, all of us," Seth answered. "Which brings us to another aspect of being a wolf."

"The imprint," Jake sighed. His voice spoke with pride and he explained the whole concept of imprinting, or imprintation, or whatever the hell you'd call it. The funny thing was, it didn't hit me until Jake was practically finished with the whole conversation. The way he explained it was uncanny, the way it was like a deep connection, a look that was deeper than just love, like the imprinter and the imprintee could actually be the only two people in the world. It was an exact description of the way someone I knew looked at someone very important to me.

"Wait," I put my hand up to stop Jake from talking. I turned to Seth. "So, is Abby…is she…did you imprint on her?"

Seth nodded. "The first time I laid eyes on her. She's it, she's always been it." But then I remembered that imprints seemed more like a mythical creation than love.

"So you don't really love her, it's kinda a magic deal," I spat, wanting to rip his throat out for hurting my sister. This would kill Abby, here she thought he loved her and it was some freaky, mutant supernatural power that had brought them to one another.

"Hell no! I love your sister more than I've ever loved anything. It just took a little push from fate to bring us together, show me she was the one, to lead her to me," Seth grinned that goofy grin that made you want to punch him and/or grin back, like he was thinking of my big sister naked or something.

I turned to Scar, searching his eyes. "Have you imprinted?"

"No," he said looking away for a second. Scar and I were just friends but I always felt a connection to him. I guess I kinda hoped he might have imprinted on me. "Honestly, I don't think I ever will."

I had to remind myself in my head, "Just friends…just friends…just friends." But a part of me ached to think someone might take him from me, that I wouldn't be the most important person in his life anymore.

"Oh," I sighed. "So, like is that why you don't date? Because you're afraid you'll imprint?"

He shook his head. "Nah, like I said, I don't think I ever will. I just…the timings not right."

"Okay," I said, completely and utterly confused.

"Ava, you have to understand that you can't tell anyone. Not even Abby," Jake seemed like he was commanding and what was strange was that I actually felt like I had to do what he asked.

"Why doesn't Abby know? Why haven't you told her?" I asked Seth.

"I keep asking him the same damn question," Jake scoffed. I swear Seth growled but it wasn't a scary growl, kinda playful really.

"I can't tell anyone, not even my sister, who, by the way, is going to be beyond pissed when she does eventually find out. Like, pissed enough to have your balls, Seth," I was serious. When she found out, heads would roll! This wasn't really something a normal person would take in stride, but then again, I wasn't exactly normal.

So I kept that secret, and eventually, that secret would come back to bite me in the ass.

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**I wonder what she could possibly mean by that…we shall find out in the next chapter! Also, look for the next chapter of **_**Love You for Always**_** this weekend. There will be a new character introduced.**

**I have to give another shout out. The name Hunter was suggested for an OC in a review for Love You For Always by Ravenwhitlock33. I couldn't help but use it for this chapter! Thank you!**


	3. The Day Abby Left

**AN: I own nothing, no vampires are mine, no wolves, either. They either belong to SM or to Ninadoll, most especially the incredible Scar, a creation of Nina! However, Abby, Ava, Ashley, and Mitch belong to me!**

**A very special thanks to Ninadoll for betaing, creating the universe, and for her support. Please check out her stories **_**The Rest of Forever**_** and **_**Love You For Always**_** and Ninadoll's **_**How Wonderful Life Is, Now You're in the World.**_** She is extraordinarily talented and I'm honored to be a part of her universe! Check out her stories and you won't be disappointed. **

**To see pictures of Ava and her sisters' lives, please check out my blog at liljenrocks{dot}blogspot{dot}com or my homepage at****liljenrocks{dot}web{dot}com. Including pictures of baby Liam and other things from this chapter. **

**Please, please, please review! Thank you to all of you who added me or the story to your favorites. You guys rock! I apologize if my review replies are delayed!**

**And…Nina and I have both been nominated for a Pup and Leech Award. Voting starts March 1****st**** at http://thepupandleechawards{dot}webs{dot}com/ We would both really appreciate your votes! **

**I hope you enjoy! Thank you again!**

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**CHAPTER 3: THE DAY ABBY LEFT**

**AVA'S POV**

So remember how I said that keeping the secret of the La Push wolves was going to come back to bite me in the ass? That happened. It was Valentine's Day. Abby had been sick for awhile and I was trying the best I could to help keep her hydrated and fed, as well as trying to find a proactive solution to the puking problem that Abby had developed. I was actually very worried. I'd never seen my big sister get so sick before and now it seemed constant.

That wasn't the only thing I was worried about though. Before, every time Abby came home from Seth's I wondered if he had told her. Judging by the lack of yelling and things being thrown, I had ascertained that he hadn't told her. That changed the night of Valentine's Day. And just as I had predicted, Abby didn't react well. I knew when she was so quiet that night that the situation was only going to get worse. I was right because the next day, when I got out of bed, I saw Abby's suitcases in the hallway. Within a few hours, she was gone.

Hours later, Ashley hadn't moved from her spot in the window and I could see her crying. She was trying to hide the tears but she couldn't. I knew because I could feel myself wanting to cry too. We were alone now, we weren't the family we had been. Ginger was on her way and I didn't mind so much that she was going to be staying with us. She was going to be recovering from her own traumatic experience but she wasn't Abby, she wasn't my sister.

There was a horrendously loud knock on the front door that brought me out of my thoughts. I looked out the window as I turned the knob. "Scar," I whispered as I opened the door. The look on his face was heartbreaking and it actually made my heart hurt and I knew I was going to cry and goddammit, Ava O'Brien doesn't fucking cry!

"Please tell me I didn't see what I think I just saw," Scar looked at me, shaking his head and rubbing his hands over his face. "Please tell me Abby didn't just leave."

I didn't know what to tell him. "She…"

"Dammit, Ava!" Scar started to shake a little. "Do you know what happens to a wolf that's away from his imprint?"

No way was he going to put this all on Abby. As much as I love Seth, from what I had gathered from this morning, Seth hadn't been suave with the whole explanation of the 'poofing into a giant wolf' thing. "Yeah, well, you didn't see the look of utter hopelessness on my sister's face either when she packed up her stuff because the only man she's ever loved broke her fucking heart!" I was screaming now and there were tears running down my cheeks.

"I know he fucked up the explanation but you know we had a major of situation last night. The least she could've done was wait for him to explain himself," he was shaking his head but I wasn't having any of it.

"No, you don't just spring something like that on someone," I knew that if I continued to hang out with the La Push crowd, this was something I needed to get used to doing, defending my big sister. "Abby doesn't…I warned you, I warned you and Seth that when Abby found out she was going to be out for murder."

Scar looked at me seriously. "He was going to propose, Ava. He had a ring and everything." The sound of his voice made me feel like maybe Abby had left him too. "And you know last night was crazy and…" He looked around to make sure Ashley wasn't listening. "The whole time we were doing what we were doing, the only thing he could think about was what the damn vamps stole from him."

I just shook my head. "Again, this is all about him." Inside, I was hiding the fact that I had suspicions about something else adding to the reason Abby left. See, I'd spent the last few nights googling Abby's symptoms. The fatigue and nausea, the irritability and the fact that her mood could change on a dime. She was either menopausal, which I doubted, or she was pregnant. I didn't pry much into Abby and Seth's sex life. Obviously, I knew they were doing it, I'd heard them the first time. It didn't matter to me, he was making her happy and that was all that counted. I didn't feel the need to ask if they were taking the proper precautions, considering Seth was a doctor and Abby was a vet, I figured they knew where babies came from. When Abby was leaving, when I watched her puke her guts out and talk about how she wouldn't ruin Seth's reputation. That was the final nail in the coffin.

"So what's gonna happen?" Scar asked. I shrugged.

"Ashley and I are going to stay tonight with Aunt Tess. Our cousin Ginger is driving up here and she'll stay here at the house until Abby decides to come back," I answered.

"But…you know AJ was bitten, right? And Seth can't leave, he can't go after her. You have to make her come back," he begged and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Let me teach you a lesson right now. No one, I mean, NO ONE, makes the O'Brien sisters do anything. You don't think I begged her to stay? She thought that he was dumping her and was making up a story of wolves and vampires. She honestly thought that. And now that's the memory she'll have of him. It won't be the dates or the kisses, it will only be the way he tore her apart," I felt my tears coming again. That's what I remember about Mitch. It wasn't the sex, per se, or the kisses or any of that. The thing I remembered the most about him was the way he stood in front of the U-Haul van and broke my heart. "She'll come back when she's ready," I was calm now, still crying but I was calm. And I gave into a weakness of mine. "I know you're pissed at me and Abby but I need you to do something."

"What?" Scar asked, confused.

I cleared my throat and stepped closer. "Can you…remember that day in the bakery? Can you hold me like that?" I asked, hoping he remembered how we hugged after he told me about his sister. He didn't respond. He walked up to me, pulling me into his chest and he held me, rubbing my back. "I'm sorry, Scar," my voice was a whisper.

Scar seemed to be swaying us a little and I didn't want him to let me go. "It's okay. We've both had a traumatic 48 hours." He leaned down and kissed my forehead. "Don't be mad at me, okay? You're my best friend, Ave, and I can't think about going off to fight another group of newborns, thinking that you hate me."

"I could never hate you, you know that. You're my best friend too," I let myself relax in his arms. Ashley held the stuffed wolf that Scar had given her in her arms, Sadie trailing behind her.

"Can we go to Aunt Tess's now? This isn't home if Abby's not here," she said, squeezing the stuffed animal to her chest.

"Sure," Scar answered before leaning down to talk into my hair. "You go. If Seth comes by, I'll talk to him. I'm worried he might phase."

I nodded and thanked Scar before Ashley and I packed our suitcases. As I assumed, Seth showed up later that day and it was one in only a handful of times that I'd seen a grown man look so utterly broken. I tried to tell him that she was okay but there was no solace in that. Not when she was so far away.

Ginger arrived the next day, taking up residence in Abby's bedroom, where the pillows had mysteriously disappeared from her bed, and things seemed to return to a somewhat normal state. I talked to Abby almost once a day and she sounded exactly how Seth did, like they were both lost without the other. Abby asked Ginger to get Ashley back into ballet and piano which gave her something to occupy her time and not sit around thinking about being abandoned by our sister. I just worked more at the bakery, where Scar would come and sit on the counter everyday. He was my rock. He kept me sane and kept me from absolutely losing it, especially, when after a few months, Ashley started waking up in the middle of the night screaming for Abby. Neither Ginger nor I could settle her, and a night of the screaming usually meant a visit to Seth the next day. Ashley would tell him about everything. Her recent project was a list entitled "Why Abigail is the Worst Sister Ever." She would tell Seth a new reason why Abby was horrible each day. Seth withered away, not even resembling the man he was, and within months, his jaw was lined with stubble, his eyes dark and sad, and his muscles much smaller than they had been.

It didn't let up either. It didn't let up when it was time for prom, which Abby made sure to send me a pair of Mom's earrings to wear with my deep red dress to the" Forks High School Prom in Paris," where I took Scar while Quil accompanied a pink-clad Claire. It was a fun night, and other than one or two dances with Quil, the only dance partner I had or wanted for that matter, was Scar. I found a new strength in him. Almost like if I was with him, I knew it would be okay. The fact that my family was falling apart and his pack was facing peril did not matter. But, we were still just friends, though everyday, I couldn't help but smile when he was around and things felt hopeful.

And by May, just before school was out and it still hadn't let up, I called Abby, only to have my deepest suspicions confirmed.

"I…I'm pregnant, Ave," Abby said very quietly and I couldn't help but gasp. Even though I had made that presumption months ago, hearing her say it made it all the more real and made me realize something very different than I'd thought of before. If she stayed in Oklahoma, she would raise a child that never knew its father, but also never knew its heritage. And what would happen if it were a boy and became a wolf? What would happen with Abby then?

"Then why the hell are you there? Why aren't you and Seth together, building a family? You don't know what it's been like since you left." I was more hoping I could pull a GamGam and guilt her into coming back. It didn't work. She was convinced that Seth didn't love her anymore and that he was trying to break it off with her. Nothing I could say about him or what had happened to him since she'd left, that he wasn't himself anymore, none of that could make her come back.

Against my better judgment, I didn't tell anyone. Now I was stuck with the second biggest secret of my life and it sucked. I was excited at the possibility of being an aunt but I couldn't tell a soul. It wasn't long though until Aunt Tess knew and Ginger too. No one mentioned it around Ashley for fear she might blab during one of her hate sessions with Seth. The only person I wanted to tell was Scar, and I probably would've if I wasn't worried he'd let it slip when he phased. I couldn't risk that.

When school was out, Ginger told Ashley and me that Abby really wanted us to come back to Oklahoma to be with her, at least for the summer. But I couldn't. So to take my mind off of everything, I immersed myself even more in working at the bakery. I was actually working the day I got the e-mail from Abby telling me that I was having a nephew complete with a picture of the little baby's ultrasound. For the first time in months, I felt excited. I felt like I had something to look forward to and I called Abby, ecstatic to share her happiness. It was bittersweet though because I knew there was no happiness for Seth and I knew that without the baby, Abby wouldn't be functioning either.

And then, on September 15th, the call came, the big event was underway. Scar, Claire, and Quil were over watching a movie and when my phone rang I excused myself to the bathroom upstairs to talk. Aunt Shannon called to tell me that Abby was in labor and the little cherub would be here soon. I squealed to myself and did a little "I'm gonna be an Aunt!" victory dance before starting to head back downstairs. I stopped next to Abby/Ginger's room, Ginger's loud cry feeling the air.

"Ginger?" I asked, pushing the door open a little.

The first words out of Ginger's mouth were harsh and laced with venom. "Those La Push men are assholes! I hate them and Embry Call can burn in hell!" I looked completely shocked. I had no idea she even knew who Embry was.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"I just got a text message. Embry and I had kinda been 'seeing' each other and apparently he's breaking up with me, through a text message! Bastard!" Ginger sobbed into her pillow. This was all news to me, not once had I heard her say that she had a date or anything like that. But then I remembered Embry and, like was usual for me, I blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"You had sex with him, didn't you?" I almost immediately put my hand over my mouth.

Ginger sat up. "Yeah, I did. I thought he was different, and I needed someone to make me feel worthy, after Yamil's whole affair with that belly dancer from that Moroccan restaurant. I thought maybe, just maybe all men weren't pieces of shit but it appears I was wrong!"

I could practically hear Scar and Quil holding their tongues downstairs and I sat on the bed next to her. "Not all men are like that, Ginger. Look at Quil, or Scar or Jake—"

"Or Seth, asshole!" she yelled and then officially stopped crying and looked at me seriously. "That's it. I'm done with men. I'm a lesbian now."

I rolled my eyes. "You can't just become a lesbian, Ginger. You're being a little melodramatic. Embry's kinda the pack player. You just got burnt is all."

"What kinda player?" Ginger asked with a cock of her head. _Oh, shit._

I immediately started going through words that rhymed with pack…back, shack, tack…shit! Then I was saved. "Sack player, like he gets a lot of girls in the sack," saved by Scar who stood in the doorway with his arms crossed.

"I like the word bastard for him better," Ginger fell back onto the bed while Scar shrugged and walked off.

"You'll be okay, Ginger. There're lots of shitty guys out there, but there're also some good ones too. We just have to keep a look out for them," I smiled, no way was this going to break my happiness from the possibility of becoming an Aunt.

Then a little after nine, I got a picture text message with the most beautiful little baby I'd ever seen. His hair, thick and black and the lettering underneath said "Liam Seth." He was an angel, perfect in everyway and I wanted so bad to hold him and squeeze him but I knew it would be awhile before I could. Looking at his picture, there was no doubt who his father was, his face, the spitting image of Seth. And I prayed that Abby would at least find the strength to tell Seth about Liam. I kept my nephew's picture on my phone and spent the week showing it to Aunt Tess and Ginger, as well as glancing at it occasionally.

The day I glanced at it the most was the day that my nephew's grandmother, Sue Clearwater, married Chief Swan, only three days after Liam was born. We were leaving to go to Oklahoma as soon as it was over and I had asked Jake for permission for Scar to go with us. It was long drive and I didn't really feel comfortable doing it on my own, with just Ashley and me, and Scar had never been to Oklahoma so it was the perfect solution.

I took a look at the picture on my phone one last time before Seth came towards us as we stood in the park in Forks just before the wedding started. Ashley was completely ecstatic to see Seth and tell him about our trip. I was worried that seeing him might make me do something, or say something I shouldn't but the moment he saw us, he came towards us. Ash jumped into his arms.

"Guess where we're going tonight?" she could barely contain her excitement.

"Where?" Seth asked.

"To Oklahoma. We're leaving after the wedding!" Ashley smiled but Seth didn't look happy. In fact, he looked like someone had kicked him in the balls.

"We're just going for a week and then we'll be back," Ava said. "Truth be told, I'm going to try and beg her to come back. I wish you could go with us." It was true. I did want him to come. I wanted him to see Abby, see his son, sweep them up and bring them all back so we could be a family again.

"I do too, but I still have things here going on," he answered and I knew he was talking about the threat of a vampire attack.

"I know," I sighed. "Jake said Scar can go with us though. We're driving so we kinda wanted a guy to go with us."

Sue came to take Seth away then and Ashley and I took our seats next to Quil and Claire. The ceremony was fast and my eyes stayed on a very distracted Seth. I sighed as it ended, Bella Cullen practically pulling Seth down the aisle.

"Didn't Mrs. Swan look like a grandma model?" Ashley asked with a giggle. "I wish she was my grandma." I laughed with her, not wanting to tell her that Sue actually already had a grandchild she knew nothing about. We headed to the reception next and as I got out of the car, I was approached by Jacob Black.

"Hey, Ava," he said with a bit of a smirk.

"Hello Jake," I smiled back while Ashley ran full force to hug his legs.

"Hello Mr. Jacob Black! Is your Griffin here? I haven't held him in so long and he's so cute!" Ashley made a squealing noise while Jake chuckled at her.

"Yeah, I think his Grandpa Billy has him for the moment," Jake answered.

"Oh goodie!" Ashley skipped off to find Billy while Jake's face became serious.

He turned to me and sighed. "Do you think you have room for Seth to go with you?" I blinked a few times trying to process what he asked and then nodded. "AJ's awake now and I'm tired of seeing my brother so distraught. I want him to go with you."

"Of course," I whispered, knowing he could hear me.

"Do not let him leave without her. I don't care if you have to drag her out by her hair, Ava. He can't spend another day without his imprint," Jake's voice was like a command and I nodded again, not really sure what to say to that. "I'll tell him you'll coming by to pick him up, when you leave the reception."

"Okay," I answered. I don't know what it was about Jake that kept my vocabulary limited to single words but he just did that.

Ahsley and I both ate, then it was time to head home. I packed Ashley's yellow duffle bag and my Vera Bradley luggage, then waited for Scar who drove us to Seth's. He was waiting outside, a grin on his face and a bag in his hand and off we went.

Scar drove all through the night while I slept and then in the morning we switched. As I drove, I thought about what was going to happen when we got to Oklahoma. I wasn't sure what Seth was going to do, he would either be overjoyed to be back with Abby and to have son, or he was going to be so pissed he would phase. If that was the case, I needed to tell Scar at least so he could have my back.

We sat next to each other in the car just after filling up with gas. Seth had taken Ashley in to get a slushee and I turned to face Scar.

"I, um, have something I need to tell you," I said, wringing my hands.

He cocked his head to the side and raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"

I swallowed hard and felt my heart speed up. "First you have to promise you won't tell Seth. He's going to find out soon enough but I think Abby needs to be the one to tell him." Scar nodded. "Okay, well, you know how when Abby left she thought he was breaking up with her, right?" He nodded again. "There was something else."

Scar must have heard the seriousness in my tone because he sat up straighter and furrowed his brow. "It's bad, isn't it?" he asked plainly.

I shook my head. "No, it can be very good. I'm just concerned about when Seth finds out. I need you to help in case he phases."

"So what's the big secret?" he asked.

I looked in the store to make sure I had a good visual on Seth and Ashley. Then, with a whisper, I said it. "When Abby left, the night she left, she was going to tell him but then all the stuff happened and she didn't." I could see him starting to tense and my mouth was so dry it felt like it'd been stuffed with cotton. "Abby was pregnant." There, I said it. Finally!

"She was what?" Scar's voice was a little more animated than I expected and he was gritting his teeth. "And she left? What the fuck, Ava? So, what'd she do?" His breathing was ragged and I could see him starting to shake.

"Okay, first off, you will not phase in Seth's car and this honestly really doesn't have much to do with you, so chill out," I opened my mouth to continue but Scar cut me off.

"Doesn't have much to do with me? Are you fucking kidding me? You don't get it, do you? The pack, we're like a family. Seth is my brother. Not to mention that when we're phased, we can feel and see every emotions and feelings going on. So, yeah, this has quite a bit to do with me. Now what did she do?" Scar kinda growled out to me.

I had to think about how to answer this, how to keep him from ripping me to shreds, so I just kinda blurted it out. "The baby's fine. His name is Liam, he looks just like Seth."

"You're telling me, she left, was pregnant and now has Seth's son and your stupid sister didn't feel the need to tell the father of the baby?"

I was pissed now. He was being entirely unreasonable. Like before, this wasn't all Abby's fault. If Seth hadn't fucked up the explanation of the wolf stuff, we wouldn't be making this drive and everyone would be in Washington like a big, happy family. But Seth and Abby seemed to be surrounded by unfortunate events. "Shut up!" I spat, taking off my flip-flop and smacking him hard on the arm. "We're not having the whole Seth versus Abby convo right now. I'm telling you because I know when Seth finds out, he's going to be beyond pissed and I need you to help me control him. I know what Abby did was wrong, but she was scared and heartbroken. And what's done is done. Now we just have to be there to help them rebuild." Scar seemed shocked and I sat up straighter. "They belong together and they have a beautiful son. This isn't a blame game." I looked Scar dead in the eye. "And for the record, don't ever call my sister stupid again. She did what she thought she had to do."

It was silent for a minute, a thick tension in the air. "Okay. I'll help but listen to me, Ava. We're best friends and that means we don't keep things from each other."

"I know, I'm sorry but I promised Abby," I told him as he pulled me into a hug. "Do you think he'll hurt her?"

Scar sat quiet for a minute. "Not on purpose. I can't say he won't be mad. We're kinda built with bad tempers. But I'll do what I can to help, you know that." He let go of me as Seth and Ashley came out of the convenient store but then held my hand as we pulled out, Seth driving.

Less than two hours later, we pulled into Oklahoma City and as we pulled into the driveway, Scar pulled out his cell phone and sent me a text message. _I can smell him_. _Like a combo of A and S._ I looked at him and he squeezed my hand, the sun setting, we were about to find out just what would happen when two soul mates with too many secrets were reunited.


	4. The Day We Were A Family Again

**AN: I own nothing, no vampires are mine, no wolves, either. They either belong to SM or to Ninadoll, most especially the incredible Scar, a creation of Nina! However, Abby, Ava, Ashley, and Mitch belong to me!**

**A very special thanks to Ninadoll for betaing, creating the universe, and for her support. She puts up with my constant worry and always helps to make me feel better about my writing ability. Please check out her stories **_**The Rest of Forever**_** and **_**Love You For Always**_** and Ninadoll's **_**How Wonderful Life Is, Now You're in the World.**_** She is extraordinarily talented and I'm honored to be a part of her universe! Check out her stories and you won't be disappointed. **

**To see pictures of Ava and her sisters' lives, please check out my blog at liljenrocks{dot}blogspot{dot}com or my homepage at****liljenrocks{dot}web{dot}com. Including pictures of Ava's outfit, the Survivor Tree and other things from this chapter. **

**Please, please, please review! Thank you to all of you who added me or the story to your favorites. You guys rock! I apologize if my review replies are delayed!**

**And…Nina and I have both been nominated for a Pup and Leech Award at http://thepupandleechawards{dot}webs{dot}com/ We would both really appreciate your votes! **

**I hope you enjoy! Thank you again!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 4: THE DAY WE WERE A FAMILY AGAIN**

**AVA'S POV**

"Well, that went nicely," I rolled my eyes.

At present, Abby lay on one couch, passed out from the shock of seeing Seth transform into a giant wolf, while Seth lay on the other, as a result of Scar punching him in the jaw. I was trying, really hard to focus on the present and to stop visualizing a naked Scar, but let's face it. He's hot and I saw him naked and for just the slightest bit, I think I glimpsed what I'm now calling a "not-so-little Scar." _Just friends…just friends…just friends._

"Do I have to take a nap too?" Ashley asked with a look of disgust.

Scar chuckled. "No," he turned to look at me. "Sorry, I just couldn't handle that. He knows that baby's his and I won't have him disrespecting Abby like that."

Against my better judgment, I threw myself at him, hugging his neck tightly. "Thank you for that," I whispered in his ear and I swear I felt him shiver a little. I pulled away as Scar looked at me funny. "What?"

"The baby's awake," he answered.

How he knew that, I had no idea. It was completely quiet. "How do you know that?"

"I can hear him. He's just kinda making a little noise, kinda like a kitten," he pursed his. "We should go get him."

My eyebrows rose. I looked at the couch, Abby out cold, Seth out cold. "Okay, here's the gameplan," I giggled. "I'll get the baby and you stay here and watch the two unconscious people," I giggled again and then shot up the stairs while I heard Scar scoff. I rounded the corner and could almost feel a difference in the atmosphere as I got closer to the bedroom that I knew Abby had been staying in, it was warmer, almost gentler. I pushed on the door, hearing a little sound coming from the bassinet next to the bed.

I took a deep breath, hearing a little whimper and leaned down. There was my baby, my little nephew, Liam, thrashing a little to get out of his burrito-wrapped blanket. His dark brown eyes looked up at me. "Hey, Liam," I whispered before I lifted him up and held him to my chest while he stared at me.

"He's probably going, 'Who the hell are you and where's my Mommy?'" Scar said from behind me. I turned around to stick my tongue out then turned back to Liam.

"I'm Aunt Ava. Just to let you know, I'm really cool and I'll buy you your first beer when you're 21 and introduce you to all the hot girls," I leaned down and kissed his forehead and then turned back to Scar. "This is Uncle Scar. He's pretty cool, however, you should know, he just punched your Daddy in the jaw." I stuck Liam out for Scar to take.

"Ha, ha, very funny," he crossed his arms across his chest.

"Hold him," I demanded.

"No," his arms fell from his chest.

"Ugh!" I groaned, pulling my perfect nephew to me. "I think he needs his diaper changed."

"Good luck with that," Scar said, flatly.

It wasn't normal for him to act this way. He leaned his back against the wall while I carried Liam over to the changing table and got to work. "What crawled up your ass?" I spat while Liam kicked his legs a little.

"Nothing," he said, again with almost no emotion in his voice at all.

"Sure, right," I unhooked the outfit Liam was wearing and slid it off him, then removed the diaper. "How bout you quit being a pain in my ass and see if you can find some pajamas for him around here somewhere. Check that drawer over there," I pointed to the top drawer of the dresser in the room.

He pushed off the wall and did as I asked. "What kind of pajamas?"

I scoffed. "I don't know, a little white onesie or something." His attitude was starting to piss me off. A lot. Scar handed me a light blue onesie with a puppy dog on it, almost shoving it into my hands. "Ear muffs, baby Liam," I said, putting my hands over his tiny ears. I swear the kid was less than a week old and he had Abby's disapproving look down to a tee. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"Nothing, just forget it," he flopped on the bed.

"No, I won't. You're being an asshole and I'm trying to revel in the fact that I'm an aunt to a pretty kick-ass little boy," I snapped the onesie up and then held Liam, turning him to face Scar. "See?!"

"Don't you see? I'll never get to be "Uncle Scar" to a kick ass anyone." I clutched Liam closer to me as I wondered if I was going to watch Scar phase for a second time that day. "That privilege was taken from me…the day… the day Megan d-d-died."

That's what was eating at him. This was a reminder of what he'd lost. He hadn't just lost his sister that day. He'd lost her future, his chances of being an overprotective brother-in-law or the cool uncle. He'd been robbed of more than just this sister.

"Scar, I'm sorry, I didn't even think," I held Liam, looking down to see him squirm a little. "I just thought…" I wanted to tell him something really intelligent, some psychological explanation about how it was important for a child to have an extended family, but I stopped. He was still sitting on the bed, hunched over.

"I won't get to be Uncle Scar," he whispered.

"I want you to be Liam's Uncle Scar," I heard a voice say and turned to see Abby standing there with Ashley. She walked over to Scar and sat on the bed next to him. "He's going to need someone to help him keep things from his parents and do crazy things with his awesome uncle. I need you to do that for him, Scar."

Scar shook his head. "It's not right, and I don't want you to—"

"Stop. Let me put it this way," Abby took his hand. "I owe you, big time. I don't know what Seth would've done if you hadn't been there. You protected me, and Liam."

"I just did what—" she cut him off again.

"Nonsense. He needs an Uncle and you need a nephew, so there you go," Abby got up. "Is he awake?"

I nodded. "I just changed his diaper and put his jammies on and he's decided that I'm the most coolest person on the planet!" There was something about realizing I was an aunt and holding the precious little mini-Seth that made me all giddy. "He pretty well agrees." I smiled widely.

Scar walked over to me. "Can I hold him now?" I handed him to Scar who cradled him. I'd seen him hold Griffin before, but this was different. Seeing him hold my own flesh and blood, seeing the way he held Liam like a piece of porcelain, was, well, sexy. "He's pretty cute." Scar kinda chuckled. "Especially to be related to Seth."

"Oh, hush," Abby said as she took him back from Scar. "I should go down and wait for him to wake up." I looked at Scar again with a little bit of panic. What would happen if his rage at being punched in the face was enough to make him phase and hurt Abby and Liam?

"We should probably go down with you," Scar said.

"It's okay," Abby said, holding Liam to her chest and kissing his forehead. She turned to me. "Why don't you show Scar to his room?"

Part of me really wanted to be in on the drama that I knew was going to ensue, but I figured this was Abby's way of telling me she wanted to deal with it on her own. "Come on, Crabby Pants," I grabbed Scar's hand and pulled him down the hall to the guest room with two twin beds. "This is where Ash and I will be staying. I'm assuming Seth will be on the couch since he's in the doghouse." I couldn't help but laugh at my wittiness there. "Get it? He's a wolf, like a dog?" I sniggered to myself.

"Sure, sure," Scar was hiding a smile.

I walked just a bit down the hall to the big master bedroom. "This is your room," I said, opening the double doors to show him. It was a large room, with a king-size bed and a separate sitting area.

"Wow," he mouthed, looking around like a kid in a candy store. It was a pretty magnificent room. It was the largest master bedroom I'd ever seen but I guess owning a major recording studio could do that for you.

"So you approve?" I asked, dropping his hand as he walked around.

"Hell, yeah," he said.

I watched him look the room over and then glanced at my watch. It was well past time for bed and I knew Scar had to be exhausted. Lord knows I was. Abby and Seth were talking downstairs and I heard Ashley in the room we would be staying in, getting herself ready for bed. "So, I'm gonna head to bed. If you need anything, we'll be down the hall."

Scar walked quickly to get next to me. "Thanks for bringing me along." He leaned down and kissed my cheek.

While I stood there, Scar's mouth hovering over my ear, my thoughts drifted to him, laying in that huge bed, probably very scantily clad. And then thinking that he'd probably shower before and his hair would be wet and his body would be all smooth and muscled and…

"You okay?" Scar asked.

"Uh, yeah, uh, y-you're welcome," I stuttered knowing my face was red like a tomato at the thought of seeing him naked. Oh, geez! _Just friends…just friends…just friends.._.I turned around to walk out, hoping I hadn't just completely mortified myself.

"Good night," he followed me out then made a quick run downstairs. I listened for a minute for the noise downstairs and Seth seemed to be enjoying fatherhood, though he sounded beyond pissed with Abby. That made it impossible to fall asleep.

I didn't like the idea of Seth being so short and snappy with Abby and that night wouldn't be the last I tossed and turned worrying that he might never forgive her. But I was even more upset seeing the pain in Abby's eyes. I knew she must have felt like she got Seth back, but at what cost? The upside was that even though he was being an ass, Seth never left her side, and every now and then I would swear that when Abby wasn't looking, I could see that same look of love and adoration in his eyes that had been there before.

I let it go for one day and I think Scar knew it was bothering me. So after the first full day we had been back in Oklahoma, Scar suggested we take a look around the city, to all my old stomping grounds. It was a terrific idea and the perfect distraction from all the drama going on around us.

"Ash, you wanna go with us?" I asked her while she leaned over Liam's bassinet while sitting on the edge of Abby's bed, Abby napping in the bed and Seth asleep in the rocking chair in the corner. Ashley's little feet were swinging while she sang softly, a song I didn't recognize.

"No, I think I should stay here in case the baby needs me," Ashley said.

I raised my eyebrows. "What do you think he might need?"

"I don't know. Abby looks really tired and Seth's not being normal," she said. Ashley looked really serious for a second and then looked at me with sadness in her face. "Are we ever going to be a family again?"

"Oh, Ash," I walked over to sit next to her and I could see the tears starting in her eyes. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her into a hug.

She turned her head into my chest and she started crying. "I thought that when we came back Dr. Seth would love Abby again and we'd get to be happy. But I don't think he likes her anymore."

"That's not true," I rubbed her back while she cried. "He loves her but he's confused right now."

She sniffled and looked at me. "But they have Liam. They have to love each other because he needs them to love him. I don't have a Mommy and a Daddy anymore and I want him to." A few tiny teardrops ran down her cheeks and I wiped them away with my thumb.

"Ash, he will. Seth loves Abby, and they both love Liam very, very much, and they both love you, you know that," I said, Ashley looking up at me. "Families don't disappear that fast."

Ashley shook her head. "Ours did. They died and we weren't a family anymore."

I put my finger over her mouth while she choked out a sob. "No. We're always a family, always. I've told you that, Seth's told you that, and Abby's told you that. Seth loves Abby, Abby loves Seth, we love Liam, and we all love you. That's all you need for a family, sweetie, just love," I kissed her forehead and rocked her. Abby had been asleep in the bed that Ashley was sitting on and she stirred a little, grabbing my hand.

"I'm so sorry that I let you down," Abby said, rubbing her thumb over my hand.

"You didn't, Abbs. We just…we have to put our pieces back together," I said. Abby scooted over and Ashley and I lay on the bed with her.

"I promise, I'll make this better. We're gonna be okay," Abby said, wrapping her arm around both of us as she looked at Seth. "I promise."

Ashley rolled over so she could face us. "But you still love Dr. Seth, right?"

"Oh God, I love him so much, Ashley. I love him so much it hurts me sometimes," Abby started to run her fingers through Ashley's brown hair. "And I know that no matter what, he'll always want you to be his friend."

"But I want him to love you, too. I want us to be a family," Ashley said a little louder and Abby and I both looked up at Seth who was still snoozing.

"We will, just give it time. I have a lot I need to make right before Seth and I are okay. But I can promise you that I love him and that I have faith that he will love me too someday," Abby said.

"But you keep telling him you're sorry, I hear you. All the time, and he doesn't accept," Ash was getting riled up and it was actually very cute to see her so wrapped up in the debate at hand.

"Sweetie, sometimes you have to say more than sorry to make everything okay," this was a way for Abby to tell her it was a big deal, she couldn't come out and tell her the exact details because she probably wouldn't understand. But just that little bit of information put it into context for Ashley. "And we're together now, right?"

"And we have Liam," Ashley smiled widely.

"And we have Liam," Abby repeated, her smile matching Ash's. It made me want to punch Seth in the face though. Abby was sorry, she'd told him that. And there were so many woulda, coulda, shoulda's going around, that it made no sense they were still not together. I knew that Seth loved Liam too. He was enthralled with him and whenever Liam was awake, Seth was by his side, holding him if he could.

"Hey, uh, sorry to interrupt but I was wondering if you were ready, Ava," I heard Scar say and I broke my hold from Abby and Ashley.

"I'm ready," I said sitting up. I looked at Abby's eyes and leaned down to kiss her cheek. "He does love you, Abbs. He always has and he always will."

"I hope so," she answered. As I walked out I listened to Ash talking to Abby about the baby, different things like his favorite color, which Abby had to explain to Ashley he was too young to know. Luckily, we had Chloe's Audi A5, white with a convertible top to drive around. Sure, I know I could have used Abby's car but she'd been complaining that it hadn't been running properly and the last thing I wanted was to be stranded, alone, with Scar, and the way my imagination had been going lately, that could be dastardly!

"Where to first?" I asked Scar, putting my seat belt on.

Scar shrugged. "It's your town, you lead the way."

I thought hard about all the places I could take him. It was hard to come up with all the places, so I started simple. Our first stop would be Mercy High. We drove with the top down, the weather still warm at the end of September. It was a Wednesday and I knew that while I should've been in school in Washington, a visit with my sister was more important. And if I couldn't be at Forks High, then maybe visiting my old high school would make up for it.

"It's big," he said, looking up at the belfry topped with a cross.

I nodded. "The first two floors are only classrooms. The basement's the cafeteria, and the third floor's where the nuns live. That floor's supposed to be haunted."

Scar raised his eyebrow. "Really?"

"That's what they say. One time when Mitch and I were making out under the bleachers at the football field, I looked up and I swear I saw a face in one of the windows," I was serious. It was a true event that happened not long after I joined the school newspaper and is what led to my eventual decision to make out in Mitch's car instead of under the bleachers.

"Very interesting," he grinned, looking up on the third floor.

He held my hand as we walked the campus, not really seeing anyone else. We walked together through the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial, both stopping to admire the Survivor Tree.

"I love this tree," I said, turning my head to the side to see Scar's face. "It was the only tree in what used to be the parking lot, and it's over 100 years old. When the bomb went off, it blackened the tree trunk and it was embedded with glass and metal. Everyone thought it would die, but it didn't. The next spring, it flowered. It kept going, just like the people that survived."

"Just like you and me," Scar said. "We have to keep going. We may not be showing it now, but one day we'll flower again." God, I loved this boy…

He wrapped his arm around me and I leaned my head on his shoulder. "What would I do without you?" I asked quietly.

"Well, you don't have to worry about that now, do you? Because you're my best friend and I'll always be here for you," he said softly and I turned in his arms to hug him.

He would be here for me, but a part of me was scared. What would happen to us if he imprinted? I would lose him, he would belong to someone else and I would become irrelevant. Someone else would hold his center of gravity. I wanted to say that, I wanted to tell him it could end really quickly, all it would take is one look from the right girl and I wouldn't matter. And deep inside, that pissed me off. He was my best friend but I felt something for him. I would never tell him that, I would never tell him that I loved him more than just being my best friend.

We stood in the spot under the tree while I pondered how to make it okay. We must have stood there for at least an hour, our arms around each other, just standing. I could've stood there longer too but Scar's stomach had other ideas and it let out a loud growl.

"Sorry," he chuckled. I pulled away.

"How about we get some dinner? We can go to the lake," I said, smiling and hoping he'd be up for dinner for just the two of us.

"Sure, sure," Scar said, keeping his arm around me as we walked to the car then headed to Lake Hefner together for a sunset dinner by the lighthouse that only led sailboats into the harbor. My plan was to get food and then take it to a nice spot by the water.

"Now, I'm going to take you to another Oklahoma institution," I smiled and pulled into a stall. "Welcome to Sonic Drive-In!"

"What?" he furrowed his brow.

"Sonic, started in the great metropolis of Shawnee, Oklahoma, it has over a thousand combinations of drinks from slushes to sodas," I smiled bigger, happy to be sharing this with him. After ordering and receiving our food from a roller skating carhop, we headed to the lake and settled on a place right next to the lighthouse. It was nice and it gave us a chance to just enjoy each other's company. Scar's appetite was as large as ever and he dove into two double cheeseburgers and all the fries that went with it.

After dinner, Scar held my hand protectively as we walked back to the Audi. "You know that things are tense back home, right?"

"Yeah," I answered knowing that something big was happening.

"When we get back, there could be some major shit happen and I want to make sure you're protected, Ave," he said when we got in the car. "It's going to be very dangerous, very, very dangerous."

"What about Abby and Ashley?"

"Seth will take care of them, he'll make sure they and the baby are okay," he said. I pulled out of the parking lot, not saying anything on the drive home, trying to process what was going to happen. What would we do if something happened? What if Seth didn't forgive Abby and he went off to war not knowing how much she loved him? This was all too complicated.

I was on autopilot now, walking into the house and going straight up the stairs and into the bedroom that Ashley and I shared. The sun was down and it was past nine. Ashley was asleep and I dropped down on the bed. Scar knew something had happened. He had gone to his own room and even though I got ready for bed, the thoughts of death for any of the people that had become family wouldn't let me relax enough to sleep.

What seemed like hours later, there was a soft knock on the door and I got out of bed, opening the door to see Scar. "Can we talk for a minute?" he asked.

"Sure," I said as he put his hand out for me. We walked down the hall and I stopped when I saw an unfamiliar scene in Abby's bedroom. The door was open and Abby was laying with her head on Seth's chest. "What happened?"

Scar chuckled. "Apparently Seth had that change of heart. They were making out in the kitchen earlier, but I don't think Seth knew I could see them."

I couldn't help but smile widely at that, they were back together and even if it all went to shit, they would have each other. But that put me back in my present train of thought. Not thinking at all, I just let it out. "You can't die, Scar. I won't let you go with them to fight, you can't."

He was serious too when he looked at me. "I have to, Ave. For my family, to protect us all," he put his arm around my shoulder.

"But what if it goes wrong? I can't lose you. Damn me for being so selfish, but I can't. I won't," I started to cry a little.

Scar slid his large finger under my chin and pulled it up to look at him. "You don't think we're all going to try our damnedest to come home? We will. But that battles not going to happen today or tomorrow. So we have to be happy together now, during this time, before it happens."

I almost threw my arms around his neck again and he knew I needed to be hugged. Part of me wondered if he did too. I cried and Scar tried to comfort me, but I was scared. "You are the best friend I have ever dreamed of having," I tried to hold back a sob.

"And you're my best friend, Ava. And the pack and you and your sisters, you guys are my family and I will always protect my family," he said and I slowed my tears. "I wanted to tell you that."

I let go of him and looked up at his eyes. "Thank you. I promise I'll try not to breakdown anymore. I'll be strong, like I need to be."

Scar shook his head. "Strong but don't you hide your emotions, Ave. If you're scared, you tell me and we'll talk it out." I nodded as he looked at the clock. "Now, it's two in the morning. Abby and Seth and Liam are snug in bed and I thought maybe in the morning, we might celebrate our family being back together by making breakfast. What'd you think?"

I smiled wide at him saying "our family" and nodded. "That would be great. I know Abby would appreciate it."

And so we did. That night, we went to bed in our own rooms, Scar waking up early to help me get things ready for breakfast and Ashley announcing to us that Seth and Abby were now getting married. I was excited for them, and I wondered if Abby knew the danger that our family would be preparing for. Then hours later, we would find out we were headed back to Washington, the danger getting closer and closer. But I was okay with that. We could go to Timbuktu or Mars for all I cared. We could face anything because we were together and we were a family again.

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**I hope you guys like this! And I hope it give you a little insight to life in the big OKC. The story about the Survivor Tree is true and, as I told Nina, I drove by it today for inspiration. It is very full and starting to bloom. **


	5. A Wedding Day

**AN: I own nothing, no vampires are mine, no wolves, either. They either belong to SM or to Ninadoll, most especially the incredible Scar, a creation of Nina! However, Abby, Ava, Ashley, and Sadie belong to me!**

**Thank you, Thank you to Miss Nina for being an awesome author, friend, and beta! Please check out her stories **_**The Rest of Forever**_** and **_**Love You For Always**_** and Ninadoll's **_**How Wonderful Life Is, Now You're in the World.**_** She is extraordinarily talented and I'm honored to be a part of her universe! Please, please check out her stories and you won't be disappointed. **

**To see pictures of Ava and her sisters' lives, please check out my blog at liljenrocks{dot}blogspot{dot}com or my homepage at****liljenrocks{dot}web{dot}com. Including pictures of Ava and Scar and other things from this chapter. **

**Please, please, please review! Thank you to all of you who added me or the story to your favorites. You guys rock! I apologize if my review replies are delayed!**

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**CHAPTER 5: A WEDDING DAY**

**AVA'S POV**

We'd been gone less than a week and I had almost forgotten how beautiful the La Push cliffs were. I always felt like I could see forever when I looked out onto the ocean from high up the cliff perch. It was soothing to listen to the soft crash of the waves below, to see the small islands off in the distance and wonder how long it might take to swim to one of them. It was relaxing and right now, I needed all the relaxation I could get.

Tomorrow, my big sister was getting married. Abby wouldn't be an O'Brien anymore. After tomorrow afternoon, she would be Abigail Clearwater. I was happy for her and I knew no one out there could care for my sister better than Seth, I was still anxious and scared and this was all coming so fast.

"Hey," a deep voice said, coming to take a spot next to me.

"Hey," I replied.

"Are you cold?" I shook my head no as I turned to look at Scar. He looked tired, anxious, filled out with a bit of excitement and eagerness. I couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking about. He was beautiful and my heart skipped looking at him. "Your heart…it just…"

"Yeah, I got a little nervous about something," I lied.

"What?" he asked.

"What if something happens? I can't lose my best friend, Scar. I've already lost too many people," I started to feel myself choke up and he slid his arm around me.

"Nothing's gonna happen. We're born to do this," Scar said before kissing my forehead. I really wanted him to kiss my lips but that was out of the question, really. It was quiet for a moment, both of us looking off into the distance. I would've paid a million dollars to know what he was thinking at that moment. Instead, I settled for just leaning into him and letting him keep me warm. "Listen, I need to go home and spend a few days with my Dad, just in case."

"Can I come?" I spoke before I even realized what I was asking. Luckily Scar thought it was funny and chuckled.

"Not this time, Ave. I have a feeling I gotta prepare Dad for a visit with you," he held me tighter and I felt two things happen at the same time, my heart swelled and I felt something below my waist that I hadn't felt in a very long time. Just being in his presence was enough to make me think of really inappropriate, erotic things, but being in his arms like this made me really, really want to break my no-sex rule.

"I love you, Scar." Again, I spoke before I realized what I was saying.

"I love you too, Ava," he answered back. I knew it wasn't the same love though. He loved me because I was his friend. I loved him because I wanted to be with him. I wanted to build a life with him. But I guess I could settle for the friendship love for the time being.

I couldn't help but be a little pissed. Why had the universe chosen Abby for Seth but not me for Scar? Was it punishment for all the shitty things I'd done before coming here? I was happy for my sister. There was no doubt that she deserved the happiness and love she found with Seth but I was jealous. Why couldn't I have my own wolf? Why couldn't Scar and I make strong little wolf babies? Why wasn't I enough?

"Can you explain something to me?" I asked. This was going to be embarrassing but what the hell, there may never be a time that we'll be alone like this again for who knows how long.

"I'll try," Scar kept me in his grasp.

"Imprinting. Why…Do you want to imprint?" Honestly, when the conversation had started, that was not my original question, this question kinda popped into my head and seemed more important than anything else at the moment.

"I don't know. I mean, I've seen it do a lot of good things but also some bad. I mean, I know Leah and Sam were the 'it' couple, then he turns wolf, meets Emily, and boom, it's all gone. But then I see Jake and Nessie and I want that for myself. I want one thing though," he stopped, pulling my hand into his. "I want to believe that fate will trust me enough to let me find my own soul mate." I looked into his eyes and I was a goner. He was so sincere and loving and I wanted him to pick me, to realize that he'd already found me. I was right here! And I would gladly be his wolf woman and have his wolf babies.

"We should probably go," I said instead, sighing loud enough for people in Vancouver to hear me.

"You're probably right," Scar hopped up in one fluid motion, then extended his hand to help me up.

"Thanks," I smiled.

"No prob," he wrapped my hand in his and I felt like skipping back to Seth's. I didn't though, I let Scar set the pace and we walked briskly, hand in hand back to Casa de Clearwater.

"Sit, Sadie, sit," Ashley was in the front yard with Sadie who seemed less than pleased to be in her new home. "Why won't you listen?!" She threw her hands in the air.

"Sit, Sadie," Scar said beside me and amazingly, the dog did just as she was told. "Good girl." He put his hand out and Sadie stalked towards him, nuzzling his palm.

"No fair! She won't listen to me," Ash crossed her arms over her chest and huffed.

"I think she's just confused. There's a lot of new scents around here. You know, she's trying to figure out where she can go to be the best protector," Scar reasoned with her.

Ash pursed her lips and thought hard before nodding. "If you say so," she turned around. "Come on, Sadie. We have a baby to check on. Don't want to fall asleep on the job."

I kept a giggled inside as she skipped off. "It doesn't help that almost every wolf in the pack has pissed on the trees around the house," Scar said, breaking me out of my concentration.

"What?" I looked at him with pure amusement.

"We kinda did it when the threat got more real. We marked all the wolves' houses. Your house in Forks, just after Seth imprinted on Abby he came around peed on the trees. It's our way of marking our territory. That way any stray riff-raff knows to stay away," Scar could see that I was barely holding in my laughter.

"Seriously?" I asked and he nodded. "That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard!" I couldn't control it anymore and I almost fell to the ground, I was laughing so hard.

"Oh, yeah," Scar got a mischievous look on his face. "I peed on your tires this morning. And outside your bedroom last night." He dropped my hand and started to run to the house.

"That's disgusting, Scar!" I chased after him. He ran through the front door and I was hot on his tail, just as he spun in the entryway, flipping over the couch in the living room before he grabbed me and made me fall with him. Here I was, lying on top of Oscar Monroe, the very position I would've paid money to be in and the only part of him that I could look at were his eyes. "You have beautiful eyes," I blurted out. "They always look so sad but still charming," and against my better judgment, I ran my finger over his brow.

"Thanks," he said softly. I had a feeling he was embarrassed and it was about to get worse as I heard someone clear their throat behind me.

"Uh-hum, hum," Seth fake coughed just as I rolled off Scar and fell on my ass with a thud. "You okay there, Ave?"

"Yeah, Seth. Thanks a lot, Seth. No problem at all, Seth," I glared at him as he chuckled and Scar helped me up. We both started to walk off but Seth grabbed Scar's arm.

"Hold on a sec, Scar," Seth said seriously.

"I'll just be holding your only son, Seth. Maybe braiding his hair, dressing him in some sort of something pink, that kinda thing," I stuck out my tongue and scampered off. It was all in good fun. I actually really loved Seth. He was so perfect for Abby it made imprinting seem flawless. I walked down the hall to Seth and Abby's bedroom where she sat rocking in a chair, feeding Liam for the umpteenth time today. That kid ate all the time!

"Did you get to think out by the cliffs?" Abby didn't look up from Liam but I knew she was talking to me.

"Yep," I sighed, flopping on their king-size bed.

"Are you adjusting okay? Is your room alright? Seth and I can—" I stopped her before she mentioned anything else about decorating my room.

"It's perfect, Abbs," I said. It was perfect, blue and white. Elements of nature all in a room. And I had my own bathroom. For the first time in my life, it was just mine.

"I just want you to be comfortable, I don't want you to feel like," she paused and put Liam on her shoulder, patting his little back gently. "Like you had to give up on your life so I could have mine."

I shook my head at my big sister, hearing my nephew let out a little belch. "Nice one," I chuckled. "And I'm okay, Abby. I like it here. And you know I trust you. You wouldn't do anything that you weren't certain on." It was the God's-honest truth. Abby would always make sure we were okay.

"Okay," she said, moving around some clothing before Liam latched on to her other breast.

"Ava, are you—oh my God! I'm so sorry!" Scar's eyes were wide as he tried really hard not to look at an overexposed Abby. Unfortunately, for some reason unbeknownst to me, he couldn't take his eyes off her boobs.

"Dude, gross!" I swatted at him.

"That's enough, nothing to see here, just my wife-to-be supplying our son with all the appropriate nutrients and such," Seth came to the rescue, handing Abby a blanket and helping her cover up. "Stopping looking, pervert." Scar shook his head.

"Uh, sorry…wow, I, um…boobs, baby…I…" I grabbed Scar's hand before he could make an even bigger fool of himself and dragged him to my bedroom.

"You realize you just totally checked out my sister's rack. In front of her soon to be husband and, oh, ME! Your best friend," I plopped down on my bed and threw a pillow at him.

"I'm sorry, geez. I've never—"Scar stopped himself.

"You've never what?" I asked, more intrigued by the pink flush that came across his cheeks and his ears. Then I got it. "Was that the first time you've ever seen a girl's boobs?" Scar didn't say anything, just nodded and I had to control my urge to rip off my shirt and let him ogle me, and, if it were possible, this part of him, his innocence made me love him even more. He'd experienced so much loss and suffering in his life but there were still things that were foreign to him. I hadn't ever thought about Scar's sexual history. I didn't seem like something that was important but I was guessing now that Scar, the bad boy he was, was still holding his V-card. "Hmm…" I thought quietly.

"Please change the subject, talk about something, anything else," Scar was begging.

"Fine. Let's talk about after graduation. What's your plan?" I lay on the bed on my stomach, crossing my ankles and putting my fist under my chin. At this point, I would've batted my eyelashes to get his attention, even just a little.

"I don't know," he sat on my bed next to me. "I've talked to Jake about working for him, but he wants me to go to college. Seattle U specializes in Engineering and I can learn about designing engines for bikes and cars. I thought about maybe enrolling. I think it would be good. I was always interested in engineering and stuff."

This was news to me but it made me giddy. "Really?" I asked as he nodded. I was about to spring something on him, something major and I hoped it didn't scare him off. "I'm going to culinary school after graduation in Seattle at Pacific West Culinary Academy. I'm…I have to get an apartment. You wouldn't maybe wanna live together, would you?"

I internally cringed, worried he might say no. I wouldn't know what to do with myself if he didn't. "You'd want to live with me?" He asked, almost perplexed that I'd even asked him.

"Of course. I think Claire might have to live with us for a few months while she goes to the canine cosmetology school in Seattle," I said watching Scar immediately crack up.

"Canine Cosmetology?" he looked at me with laughter in his eyes. "Is that a fancy way of saying a dog grooming school?"

I giggled. "Yep. It's only like two months so she wouldn't be there the whole time."

Scar took a deep breath. "If everything works out okay, if we keep them from coming here—"

"Don't say if. Please don't say if. I need you to say when, I need you to believe that you're going to be okay. I can't…" I put my head down, hoping that I was hiding all the tears from him.

Scar's large warm hand pushed my chin up to look me in the eyes. "Why are you so worried? Do you need me to tell you about the legends again?" I shook my head no. "Cuz we were born for this. This is what we do, what we were made for. Have a little faith in me, Ave."

"I do, I have so much faith in you," and without thinking, I threw my arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. I wanted to kiss his neck, I wanted to consummate our friendship in another way right then, right there.

"Then don't worry," he said softly. "Me and the younger wolves will be staying here anyway. And if you worry, then I worry. And I don't want you to worry, okay?" His warm breath on my neck tickled as I closed my eyes and fell into his heat. He hugged me a little harder before sighing. "I have to go to talk Seth for a minute but you should get some sleep. It's a big day tomorrow."

"Oh, yeah. Abby and Seth's wedding," I grinned at Scar. "What's Seth wanna talk about anyway?"

Scar shrugged. "Just stuff I'm sure. But now you tuck yourself in and sleep good. And maybe, I just might dance with you at the reception tomorrow." He smirked, something he didn't do often but melted my insides every time he did.

"Okay, okay. Are you going home now?" I asked. I didn't know much about Scar's dad but I knew he wasn't a good guy. He wasn't bad, but he was a drunk and I knew Scar loved him, he was his father, and he knew there was time when things were okay. But now I knew his dad was unpredictable and I really just wanted Scar to be safe. "Will you be okay?"

"Of course," he sighed, kissing my forehead, his warm kiss making me crave more.

"Call me in the morning. I might need you to help me get everything all ready," I plopped back on my pillow.

"I will. Nighty, night, Ava-bug," he said before walking out and shutting the door. My room seemed lonely without him, cold and empty, like I was before I met Scar. I got up and strolled into my bathroom, doing the mundane routine that I'd done many times, only this time in my own little safe haven of a bathroom. I climbed into bed after, rolling over and thinking about tomorrow, all the activities planned and my mind wandered to Scar. What I would give to have him as mine, to be waiting for our wedding. But that wasn't what the universe had chosen for us and only time would tell how long I would be the most important girl in his life, only until he finally locked eyes with his imprint and I lost him forever.

**SCAR'S POV**

It had been getting harder and harder to leave her. Every night I would say my good byes to Ava and want nothing more than to crawl into bed with her. Fate may not have chosen her for me, but if it were up to me, she would be it. She would be my wife, the mother of my children and the spunky little grey haired woman that kept me from ever needing Viagra. It wasn't meant to be though as I was almost 100% sure any feelings she had for me were platonic. A wolf could dream though…

"Seth?" I said softly as I knocked on his office door. He was sitting in his chair with Liam in his arms so content and happy. Seeing him with Liam and Jake with Griffin and Paul with Keegan made me wonder if my father ever looked at me like that, ever held me with so much love. I was sure he did and what I wouldn't give for a moment of a memory of it.

I also knew when Seth had asked me earlier to find him before I left Ava that something serious was probably about to transpire. "Hey, Scar," Seth looked up at me with his signature Seth-grin.

"You wanted to see me?" I asked while I walked into the room more and he pointed at a chair that I was more than happy to occupy.

"Yeah, I have a few favors to ask, and I didn't want Abby or Ava to hear," he said with an even softer voice while he snuggled Liam closer to him.

"Sure, what'd you need?" I leaned back in the chair contemplating putting my feet up on his desk but deciding against it.

"I wanted you to know, first off, that knowing you will be here to protect my family makes a little easier for me to leave," Seth looked me in the eyes taking his gaze from his son. "But I also know that I need to be prepared for the worst." He picked up a large brown envelope and handed it to me.

"What's in here?" I asked, examining it closely.

"My will, deeds to the house, bank account numbers, and about five thousand dollars," Seth said seriously. "I'm entrusting it to you because I need you to promise me something."

I couldn't imagine what he would be asking, why I would be trusted with something so important. "Anything," I said to him though, hoping to find out what it was that was so dire.

"If things start to go bad…if you see that I'm not coming back, I want you…I need you to take the girls and run. Leah knows too, she'll go with you but I need you to keep my family safe," Seth's eyes returned to his sleeping child. "I'm not entrusting you with just papers, Scar," his voice broke. "These women and my son are the most important things in the world to me, my most valuable treasures. Can you promise to keep them safe?"

I blinked a few times. No one had ever placed so much trust in me. Sure I was a wolf, and whether they knew it or not, the tribe put a lot on our shoulders but no one trusted me like this, no one. "Where would we go?"

"You can go to Oklahoma or go someplace remote, leave the country if you have to. Go to Iceland or Malaysia or anywhere where they can't find you," he rocked Liam gently. "And I need you to promise that you'll make sure Liam doesn't grow up with animosity towards the Cullens."

"How can I do that? Abby's scared to death of them," I interjected.

"You can do it because of just that. She's scared, she needs to know she can trust them and that may only come from you reassuring her that they are nothing but good. Nessie will need Abby too, they'll need each other," Seth shifted Liam in his arms. "And will you…can you tell him how much I loved him," his voice was a whisper now and I could feel the tension and the fear in the room. "Everyday."

I just nodded. I didn't know what else to say. What could I say? A man that I looked up to as a brother was entrusting his family to me and as much as I tried to encourage Ava, I knew this wasn't going to an easy battle and we would most likely lose someone.

"You know, I know that things haven't been easy for you, Scar. But I want you to know that any parent should be proud to have you as their son. You will always have place with my family," Seth said. "You'll always, always have a place with us. And if…if this all works out, I'd been thinking of investments in real estate, maybe a condominium in Seattle. I heard you and Ava talking and my thought was maybe you two could keep it up while you're in school," Seth smirked.

"You don't have to do that," I said, hanging my head a little. I didn't want charity, sure there were times that it sucked about my life but I was determined to make something of myself.

"I would need you to look after Ava for me. I know Abby will worry and Seattle is a big city, Scar," Seth stood up and carried Liam over to stand in front of me. "I guess we have to get through this shit before we can think about that, right?"

"Yeah," I answered.

"Do you have plans for tonight?" he rocked the little baby back and forth.

"I'm, um, I'm gonna go see my Dad," I looked down, not able to see what a look of pity on his face.

But Seth put his hand on my shoulder. "That's probably a good idea. Even though things haven't been perfect with him, take it from me, you only have one Dad." I could see Seth's pain in his eyes and knew he was thinking about his Dad and the loss he experienced. "That's why I need you to tell Liam about me. In case something happens."

"I will, Seth. I'm hoping that nothing bad happens. But…I'm proud to have you as my brother," I managed to eke out while he reached forward and hugged me, not something most of the older wolves had qualms about. They were all past the whole fear of manly hugging thing.

"And I'm proud to call you my brother too," Seth gave me one last pat on the back before showing me where he hid the key to the drawer of the desk where he'd stowed away the brown envelope. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Of course," I answered while Seth followed me out of the office and then out of the house.

I wasn't necessarily nervous about seeing Dad, I was just…worried. I stripped down in the front yard, tying my shorts to my ankle and soon catching myself in mid-sprint. I loved this part of being a wolf, being able to let everything go and just run. I had gotten good about hiding my thoughts from my brothers, especially my thoughts about Ava. I was in love with her but I would never admit it. I couldn't, she wasn't mine.

_She's not mine either but I'd do her if I had the chance_, Sebastian chuckled through the mindlink while I growled and shot him an image of me tearing out his throat if he ever talked about Ava like that again or told anyone what he'd seen in my head. _Yeah, yeah._

As I got closer to the house, my nostrils were full of the sickening smell of liquor. It was a familiar scent. While some children might associate home with the scent of fresh-baked cookies or a Mother's perfume, I associated home with the scent of Crown Royal and Jack Daniels. I phased back after crossing our property line and slipped on my shorts. The TV was loud, some obnoxious game show. I felt bad as I looked at my tiny shack of a house. Recently I'd spent so much time with the Clearwaters and the Blacks, whose houses could swallow ours whole, that I was almost disgusted to think this was where I lived and then I felt guilty for thinking such things.

I tried not to slam the screen door as I wandered in the house but somehow, with all the noise and the drunken stupor, Dad heard me come in. "Is that you, Oscar?" his gruff voice called out with a slur.

"Yeah, Dad, it's me," I answered and slowly walked into the living room.

"You've been gone a long time," he slurred.

"Yeah, I had to go help a friend with some stuff," I lied, trying not to allude to the fact that I'd traveled across country and been training to fight a shitload of really bad vampires.

Dad coughed and I walked around his recliner and squatted down to look at him. "That's what's so special about you, you always help others," he smiled and patted my cheek. "Can you get me a beer out of the fridge?"

I scoffed. "I don't think that's a good idea, Dad. You seem like you've had enough for today," I picked up two empty bottles.

"One more won't hurt," Dad whined. "Please, Oscar." I started to stand but looked at my Dad again. Dammit, why couldn't I say no?

"How about I make you a deal? You let me get you showered and changed out of these clothes and we'll talk about that beer," I said, hoping he'd forget about the damn thing after he was clean.

"You'll use that shampoo? Like your mother always used to buy?" he begged. I didn't know why Dad still kept the same shampoo that low-life bitch used to buy, but he did. He kept things of hers too that I wished he would've burned. Jewelry, clothes, he probably would've kept the same sheets if I wouldn't have stripped the bed at least every week for him.

Dad leaned on me and we walked to the bathroom after he stumbled a bit. I helped him in the shower, then brushed his hair. "You need a haircut," I chuckled. Throughout my whole life, my Dad's dark raven hair had always been cut short, an easy haircut I learned to master just after Mom left. I pulled out the scissors and razor and went to work. "I'm not gonna be here tomorrow. I'm going to a wedding so I won't be home until late."

"You're not getting married, are you?" Dad laughed but I could see a look on his face that he was thinking about something.

"It's not me. It's my best friend's sister and Dr. Clearwater. You remember him?" I asked. Seth had come to see Dad a few months ago when Dad cut his hand on a broken bottle.

"Yeah," Dad sighed. "Hey, who's this best friend and why haven't I met him?"

I cutoff a few stray curls around his ears. "Well, that's because him is a her. And she, she's, she, her family lives on the other side of the reservation."

"Oh," he started to fidget.

"You gotta hold still, Dad," I said cutting the last few hairs and then I turned him to look at the mirror. "What do you think?"

Dad grinned at me. "Nice. Now, why haven't you brought this girlfriend over?"

I shook my head and patted his shoulders. "She's just a friend that happens to be a girl. She's not a girlfriend."

"Whatever you say, son," Dad chuckled, looking at himself. "I think I look good, don't you? I bet the ladies will like it."

It was pretty funny, really. Dad hadn't been on a date or even out of the house much in the last year or so. He stayed hulled up in the house with only Jim Bean, Johnny Walker, and Captain Morgan as his friends. The only people from the pack that had met him were Seth and Jake. It wasn't that I didn't love him, I just wanted more for him, wanted more from him, I guess. How could I have been strong enough to survive Megan's death and Mom leaving but my Dad couldn't even make it through the day without getting wasted? Dammit, I lost my sister and my Mom and as much as I felt like a huge hole was in my chest, I faced life. I may not have been the most open and friendly guy but I got by. I got out, I lived, I breathed. I was mad and angry, but he was my Dad. I couldn't not love him because in the back of my mind were the memories of what he had been, the great father he had been once upon a time.

And now, I was dealing with the possibility that I might be the one that was leaving. This might be the last time I'd ever see my Dad and I was completely overcome with more emotion than I thought I'd been able to feel in years. "I love you, Dad," I choked out and leaned down to hug him. And just like he always had, he gave me the biggest bear hug known to man.

"I love you too, son," he said and I tried not to cry. We hugged for at least a minute before I heard his snores. I chuckled to myself then lifted him and carried him to his room.

The next morning, I was up at dawn and ran to the Clearwater's only to be met at the door by Ava. She looked completely flustered, her hair up in a messy bun on top of her head. "Where have you been?! I'm supposed to finish icing this cake and need your help to put the top layer on."

"I'm here now, geez. You know, some of us humans do have to sleep," I chuckled as she pulled me in the door.

"Yeah, well, you are not human so that doesn't excuse you from your absence. Now, help, please," Ava brought us to the kitchen where the cake sat waiting to be stacked. "What I need you to do is, while I steady this layer and make sure it doesn't shift, I need you to get behind me and lift up the top layer. Kay?" Ava was in baker-mode and I have to say, it was hot. It didn't help that I was pressed against her backside, hovering a cake over her and thinking of all the inappropriate things I could do in this position. And her scent, her scent was so intoxicating. She smelled like rain and…vanilla. "Scar, you can put the cake down," Ava's voice brought me out of my dirty thoughts. She had turned in my arms and I was praying to God she couldn't feel what was going on below my waist because at this point, I was hard as a rock and knowing I was this close to her va—"Are you listening to me?"

"Oh, sorry, um, I just sit it down?" I asked, pretty sure my face was bright red.

"Yeah," she smiled at me. "Just sit it on top and I'll finish it off." I smirked back. She was practically in my arms and I just wanted to dip my head down and kiss her until next week. "Um, you might want to go with Seth to Sue's to get ready. Alice will be here in a bit and she'll get us girls ready, um."

I couldn't stop staring into her eyes, the bright green orbs that looked like emeralds. Everytime I stared into them I had to remind myself that I hadn't imprinted on her, they were able to bring me to my knees. "Yeah, I should, I guess," I looked down to break our connection.

The rest of the day I helped out where I could, in any random situation or place. I sat with Nessie and Griffin and Quil had to push my jaw closed when Ava walked down the aisle. One day I would have to watch her walk down the aisle into the arms of someone else.

"You know you don't have to imprint to fall in love with someone, Scar. If she makes you happy…" Jake said from behind me. I wasn't sure at which point I had walked from the wedding in the front yard to the reception in the back yard. Or how I ended up eyeing Ava as she and Tess cut the cake for the guests.

"It's not like that," I said, shaking my head as Ava walked towards us. Jake just chuckled and slapped me on the back.

"Hey," Ava smiled at me. "Are you having fun?"

"I am," I said. The wedding was actually a great distraction for all of us and as the music played on.

"Ooh, I love this song!" she bounced on her feet and grabbed my hand, pulling me into a dancing position. "Don't you just love it?" she pulled me closer and laid her head on my chest.

"What's this song?" I asked.

"Do You Realize? It's by the Flaming Lips," Ava pulled me even tighter. I drew circles on her back with my thumbs aimlessly. This was it, this was all I wanted. I could live a thousand years and this was what made it worth it. Ava in my arms, humming and sending a slight vibration through my chest. "You have the most beautiful face. Do you realize?" At that moment, I did realize. If we survived, if we were safe, I would find out what I needed to do, what I had to do to make her my life.

* * *

**I hope that answers some questions. Scar didn't imprint on Ava, but he is in love with her. **

**The song they dance to, "Do You Realize?" is by the Flaming Lips, a band from Oklahoma City and is the official rock song of the State of Oklahoma. (Like seriously, they did a whole vote and proclamation in the State Legislature). It's a little ironic that I decided to use it because one of the main lyrics in the song says, "****Do you realize/That everyone you know someday will die?" It's a beautiful song though and if you have a chance, you should definitely check it out. **

**Thanks again!**


	6. The Most Stressful Day of My Life

**AN: I own nothing, no vampires are mine, no wolves, either. They either belong to SM or to Ninadoll, most especially the incredible Scar, a creation of Nina! However, Abby, Ava, Ashley, and Liam belong to me!**

**Thank you, Thank you to Miss Nina for being an awesome author, friend, and beta! Please check out her stories **_**The Rest of Forever**_** and **_**Love You For Always**_** and Ninadoll's **_**How Wonderful Life Is, Now You're in the World.**_** She is extraordinarily talented and I'm honored to be a part of her universe! Her stories are brilliant and the idea of the antidote is all hers. She truly is amazing!**

**To see pictures of Ava and her sisters' lives, please check out my blog at liljenrocks{dot}blogspot{dot}com or my homepage at****liljenrocks{dot}web{dot}com. Including pictures of Ava and Scar and other things from this chapter. **

**Thank you to everyone who has been sticking with me over the months! I greatly appreciate every single one of you and it literally makes my day to see each review! This chapter is a stepping stone to bigger events to come. Please keep reading. **

* * *

**CHAPTER 6: THE MOST STRESSFUL DAY OF MY LIFE**

**AVA'S POV**

This was it. The day that we'd all been preparing for, dreading I guess is more like it. The night before, Scar had gone home to sleep, but ended up at our house before three in the morning. I worried. A lot. I worried about my sister and what would happen if things didn't go the way they were supposed to. I worried about my nephew and the prospect of watching him grow up without Seth if it all went south. And, as selfish as it sounds, I worried about me. Scar wasn't going off to fight, he was staying here, protecting us. But if the bad vampires managed to head this way, I would lose him.

Scar wasn't just my best friend, I was sure, whether the universe approved or not, that he was the love of my life. I wouldn't love anyone like I loved him, I knew that. "Please be careful," I whispered. The older wolves were loading the cars while the younger wolves were getting ready to phase. Scar heard me, and pulled me into a tight hug and I didn't want to let go.

"Ava," Seth called me over and I walked with Scar holding my hand. "I gave Scar an envelope with all the important stuff you guys might need, just in case something happens." He swallowed hard and looked me in the eyes. "There's letters in there, too. One for Abby, one for Ashley, a few for Liam, and one for you." My eyes watered. "Don't read them unless something happens, but I wanted to tell you thank you."

"What for?" I choked, trying not to lose it.

Seth grinned that goofy grin that I knew Abby loved. "For getting in trouble," he chuckled.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"If you hadn't gotten in trouble, you guys would've never moved here. I wouldn't have imprinted and we wouldn't be a family," he kept smiling and I lost it, the tears came rolling down my cheeks, causing Seth to take me from Scar. "Hey, hey, now. I would expect this from Abby or Ashley but I usually count on you to be the badass, Ave."

I nodded as he hugged me. "I am. I just… when it was three of us, me and Abby and Ash, it just didn't feel like a family. We felt like we were drifting, like ships with nothing to anchor to. But then Abby met you and I knew that…somehow I knew that we'd be okay. You're our anchor, Seth, and if we lose you…" I trailed off and prayed to God Abby didn't hear me or see me. She'd be a blubbering mess and I knew she didn't need any added stress. "You and the pack gave us a family again."

"And that won't ever change, Ava. No matter what, we'll always be a family," Seth gave me tight squeeze and kissed my forehead while we heard a little voice clear their throat behind us.

"Have fun at your meeting, Seth," Ashley said. She didn't know what was going on. At least, we all thought she didn't but the thing about Ashley is that she's much more observant and perceptive than we realize sometimes. "I made you this," she pulled a folded up piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to Seth.

"What do we have here?" he grinned while opening it up.

"I drew a picture of Sandy for you to take with you," Ashley smiled widely as I looked at the drawing of the sandy-brown Seth-wolf on the paper. "He'll bring you good luck and protect your from bad guys."

Seth swallowed hard again as I looked at Scar who was starting to bite his bottom lip. Two of the strongest men I knew were near tears over an eight-year old's drawing of a wolf. I knew it was more than that though. It was what she said. The wolf would bring them luck and protect them. Because, after all, the wolves were protectors. She didn't know that the wolf she drew was Seth, she just knew that that wolf would keep us all safe and I think subconsciously it was encouraging to them.

"Thanks, Ash," Seth leaned down and scooped Ashley up in his arms to kiss her cheeks.

Ashley grabbed Seth's face in her small hands. "I love you, Seth. I'll watch over Liam while you're gone, okay?"

"I know you will," he gave her one last kiss on the cheek. "And you'll do a great job." He sat her firmly on the ground and then took a deep breath. "Hey, gorgeous," Seth said over my head as Abby came up with Liam in her arms. Seth took Liam and unwrapped him from his blanket. "You be good for Mommy, son." He pulled Liam closer as Liam nuzzled him a little. Seth inhaled deeply holding Liam.

"He wants to remember his scent," Scar whispered next to me and I nodded.

Seth smiled. "Ava, can you hold Liam for a minute?"

"Sure," I nodded taking Liam from him while Seth took Abby's hand and walked towards the rental van. I couldn't hear what he said to her but I saw him pull her into the most passionate, nonsexual kiss ever. It was like watching them, I could feel how much they loved each other and I felt a hollow feeling inside knowing I probably wouldn't have anyone love me like Seth loved Abby and vice versa.

"I need to go phase, too," Scar said before pulling me tight to his chest, careful not to crush Liam. Just like Seth had with Liam, Scar leaned into my hair and took a deep breath. _He wants to remember my scent…_

"What do I smell like?" I asked, low enough that Ashley wouldn't hear.

"Rain and vanilla. It's the most comforting scent," he stroked my hair and started to say something before a loud yell interrupted him.

"No, please! NO!" I turned to see Claire with a vice grip on Quil, her legs around his waist, locked at their ankles as he held her tightly in his arms. "You promised me that you wouldn't ever leave me, Quil! You promised!" Her sobs floated through the air as Quil's eyes darted around before finding his imprint's face.

"I'll be back, Claire-bear. I need you to be strong, princess," he said, adjusting so she could see his eyes, but instead of saying anything, Claire pressed her lips to his. And the funny thing was, she wasn't just kissing him, he was kissing back.

"I love you, Quil," she said.

"I love you too, Claire," he grabbed her chin and moved her face so he was looking straight into her eyes.

"When you come back, can we…will you…I want to be with you," Claire was crying harder but it wasn't a temper tantrum cry.

Quil tucked a stray hair behind her ear and kissed her lips. "We'll talk about it when I get home, okay? Now go with Ava, sweetheart," he kissed her one more time and attempted to put her down but she locked her legs tighter around his waist.

"I'm not letting you leave me!" She sobbed into his chest. I had to look away while Leah and Scar both grabbed hold of Claire, Leah whispering something to her in Quileute and Claire relaxing almost all of her muscles and falling into Leah's arms.

"Please take care of her, Lee," Quil said and Leah nodded as she carried a still crying Claire into the house. Scar was beside me now and he pulled me into a final hug as I watched the other wolves get into various vans and trucks.

"I have to go phase," Scar said into my hair.

"I know," I closed my eyes so tight and hoped that somehow maybe I could say something like, "Beam me up, Scottie!" and end up in a new dimension with Scar, far away from bad vampires and life-threatening situations. It didn't happen though. "Promise me you'll stay safe."

"I'll try," he kissed my forehead and I wanted so badly to reach up and pull his beautiful pink lips to mine. "I love you, Ava. Stay safe."

"I love you, Scar," I whispered just as Luka grabbed him by his shoulders and the younger wolves ran behind the line of trees in front of us.

I listened to the conversations around me, but didn't hear them. I couldn't focus. The person that I loved so much was about to face the worst conflict in his life, which was saying a lot for Scar because he'd already been through so much shit. I could hear someone telling me I needed to go inside but I didn't want to listen. I didn't want to stop looking and see him disappear maybe for the last time.

"Come on, Ava dear," Sue wrapped her arm around my shoulders and helped me inside the house that seemed to be bursting at the seams with emotion. Women were crying, babies were crying, and in the midst of it all, I noticed Claire in a corner, curled slightly into a ball still sobbing.

"Claire?" I said as I walked up to her hoping that maybe I might be able to do something to comfort her.

"What?" my friend almost spat at me with a total look of disgust on her face.

I tiptoed my way to her. "Are you okay? Do you need—"

"Am I okay? Do you really think I'm okay?" Claire sat up and shoved off the blanket that was wrapped around her waist.

"I'm sorry. I just really wanted to see if, I don't know, there was something I can do…to help," I said sheepishly, a quality I didn't endear and didn't demonstrate often.

She scoffed at me. "Unless you can get your boy toy Scar to trade places with Quil then no. I don't need you."

The words cut to my core. I wasn't sure which emotion was most prevalent, anger or sadness. How could she say that about Scar? And how could she say she didn't need me?

"That's enough, Claire," I turned around to see Emily standing there with her hands on her hips. "Ava, can you give us a minute?" her eyes were like fire and I thought she might be thinking of horrible ways to punish Claire, and for a minute, I thought about stepping between them. But she was pissed and I was not incurring that wrath.

"Sure," I answered, slipping away and heading to the kitchen. If I was going to be miserable, I was going to be miserable baking. I had so much to think about and so much to forget. I didn't want to think of the danger Scar and the other wolves were in. I didn't want to think about Claire's painful words. I just wanted to do what felt comfortable, what I knew would ease my pain. "Do you think Ness would mind if I made some stuff? Like cupcakes or cakes or pies or something? I know the boys will be hungry when they get home," I asked Sue who was sitting with Billy Black in the kitchen. I liked Sue, she was sweet to us and accepted us, something I knew most mothers wouldn't want for their sons, an automatic family.

"That'd be nice, Ava. Nessie wouldn't mine," Billy answered as Sue nodded.

She grabbed my hand and took me to the fully stocked refrigerator, then the pantry. I ran through the ingredients for Vanilla Buttercream cupcakes in my head and laying butter out to soften while I sifted flour. This was like therapy to me, I guess. Culinary Therapy. It was really amazing how I could channel my fear and frustration into a baked good, but I could.

I mixed and sifted and mixed and blended until the batter was completed and it was time to put the batter in the paper cups to bake. "Do you want help?" A voice said from behind me. People really needed to stop that unless they wanted to lose a body part or limb!

"You don't have to," I said to the voice that I recognized right away.

"I want to," she said, putting her head down. "I'm sorry, Ave. I…I'm just so scared."

I shoved the part of me that wanted to run to her and hug her and tell her it was okay way back into the corner of my mind. "Yeah, well, I'm pretty fucking scared too but you don't see me biting anyone's head off!" Yes, I know, I realized the irony of my statement almost the moment it came out. "Sorry."

Claire sat down a stool in the kitchen and motioned for me to join her. As angry as I was with her, I did as she asked. I took my place next to her, watching the timer for one of the batches of cupcakes I'd shoved in the oven. "I've loved Quil since I was 2-years old, Ava. I've known since then that he was the guy I would marry, the guy I'd have a family with. It's always only ever been him. And I'm so scared of losing him. He's out there, on the front line and I'm terrified."

"Like what Scar and Luka and the other's are doing isn't dangerous?" I asked and almost saw her back away me.

"It is, but it's not the same," Claire slouched.

"Whatever," I stood up from my stool. I wanted to be nice. I knew she was hurting but it wasn't like she was the most important person on the planet.

"Please don't be mad, Ava. I…" Claire's eyes were full of tears and I sighed.

"I get it, Claire. You're worried about losing your imprint. I get it," I took a deep breath as she nodded. "Well…just because you have an imprint…that doesn't mean you love him more than I love—"

Claire stopped me. "I know, I'm sorry," she dropped her head. I took another deep breath and walked up to her, wrapping my arms around her neck.

"I know, Claire, I'm sorry," and my eyes betrayed me, tears pouring down my cheeks. I don't know how long we stood there, crying and hugging. Our moment was ruined by the loud howl of the wolves.

"Shit!" Sam yelled, scaring me and causing Keegan to start to cry. What followed was sheer panic from almost everyone in the house as we ran to the front porch to see the wolves pacing. Abby was leading the way with Leah and Nessie beside her. I was doing pretty good at keeping my emotions in check until I saw that Scar had phased back. He was completely naked and as much drama as was going on, I couldn't help but look at him. He was…as always, amazing…and I knew Abby was crying and I knew I needed to help but I couldn't stop looking at him.

I could see Leah and Sam talking, and Abby about to lose it. "Abby," I said softly. She was about to fall to her knees and I rushed to grab Liam from her. The exchanges going on were tense and frantic. I held onto Liam tightly and kissed his forehead. I knew if I could concentrate on Liam than I wouldn't have to realize that Scar was in danger and that something obviously had to be wrong with Seth. Our anchor, we couldn't lose Seth.

Liam opened his eyes and formed his mouth into a tiny yawning "O." His eyes were like Seth's and Leah's, a dark brown with long eyelashes. His skin was like toffee and his head was full of downy black hair and he stared at me. "It's gonna be okay, Liam," I told him, just as he started to struggle in my arms. Looking at my nephew caused my heart to tug towards Scar.

He was all business, standing as a human, talking to Sam and Leah and all I could do was imagine him as a father. The fact that he was naked, something that had riveted me minutes ago, didn't matter now. I could see him with little girls and little boys around him, children that wouldn't be mine.

Maybe if I couldn't have him, maybe it would be enough just to have him in my life. If we weren't together, together, I could be there for him, right? Even if I wasn't his soul mate, I could still be his best friend. No, I would be. Because I couldn't live in a world where I didn't see him everyday, where I didn't know he was okay, where I didn't get to tell him how much I loved him. I would do that, for him, I would do anything.

**SCAR'S POV**

_This sucks. They'll get to come back with all these awesome stories about fighting and we'll get to tell our grandkids we sat here and did nothing_, Sebastian whined. I loved all my brothers, but this kid was too much at the moment.

_Sebastian, please,_ Luka said to him. Luka, Scott, and I were the oldest of the younger wolves that had to stay behind. While we would have gladly gone off to battle with our brothers, it was a bit of a relief to stay behind. And an honor to be given the task of protecting the pack's most valuable resources, our mates and children.

_Well, since Ava's not technically your mate, would you mind—_Sebastian started.

_Cool it. We have to be alert,_ Luka said and I seconded him. There wasn't much we could do but patrol all around the border of the reservation. I had been given the closest position to the house. We could see the fight in our heads through the mindlink and I had to admit that Sebastian did have a point. They could've used our help and it would've been nice to be actively involved but this is where the Jake said to be, and that meant we'd do whatever we were called to do.

It had been quite. We knew they were fighting but it seemed to be going our way. It wasn't until I felt an excruciating burn course through my body. _Oh, shit!_ Sebastian yelped.

_Mother of God that fucking hurts! _ Luka howled. I couldn't deny it, it was the worst pain I'd ever felt in my life and I tried to breathe through it so I could see where it was coming from.

_Who is it? Who's hurt?_ I yelped and whined, realizing we were causing quite a bit of commotion as the other young wolves all rallied to my location. The moment the pain started to ease a little, I figured out who it was that had been bitten. Images of Abby and Liam floated through our heads and Leah and Sue, and then Ashley and Ava and then disappear. _Fuck!_ I grunted witching the needle plunge into Seth's chest through Curtis's eyes. _Seth_. I had promised him I'd take care of his family but I didn't even want to think for a minute that there was a possibility that I might actually have to follow through with it.

_Stay calm,_ Quil said through the mindlink and we all tried to calm the emotions rushing through us. It didn't get any better when I looked up to see that we'd managed to attract the household full of people.

_Someone's gotta go talk to them. Got it! _Scott whimpered, while Luka looked at me.

I groaned. _Wait until we make sure he's stable. I don't want to have to face Abby if things don't go well, not yet_, I said, watching Carlisle help Seth up. _Son of a bitch, Seth. Don't do that to us._

Seth let out a soft chuckle. _Sorry, wasn't exactly planned._

I growled as he returned to the fight. _Alright, everyone back to your posts. And be alert, keep what's going on here separate from what's going on there. Got it? _A low rumble ran through the pack that was here, as everyone turned on their heels and ran back to their posts. I had forgotten that we had an audience though. _Luka, watch my back. I'm phasing back._

_Sure, sure_, he answered just before I phased back.

"Sam, can I talk to you?" I asked. Sam motioned for Leah to come with him.

Both were approaching me, both with worry and concern in their eyes. "What the hell happened, Scar?" Sam growled.

I looked at the crowd behind Sam and Leah and swallowed hard. "Seth was bitten," I said, rubbing my face.

"What?!" Leah panicked and her eyes flew open wide.

"Calm down, he's okay. You're gonna freak Abby and your mom out," I felt bad scolding her like a child. But I seriously didn't want to have to be the one to tell Abby things hadn't gone well.

"What do expect, Scar? He's my brother," she growled and sent a shiver down my spine with her intensity.

"Alright, alright, that's enough," Sam put his arms between the two of us and then turned to me. "He's fine?"

"Yeah, Carlisle used the antidote and he's fighting again," I said, switching my gaze between Sam and Leah. "Should we tell Abby?"

We all three turned to look at Abby. Ava was holding Liam off to the side, but Abby was losing it, I could see it in her face. She knew without anyone telling her specifics that something wasn't right. I wondered if that was part of the imprint or if they just loved each other so much that they were just that connected. I wondered if the same thing could happen to Ava and I even if we weren't imprinted.

Sam shook his head. "I say, if he's fine, if he's still fighting, we wait and let him tell her."

"So what am I supposed to tell her now?" Leah asked giving Sam a 'go-to-Hell' look.

"I don't know. Tell her that they're still fighting, it was just a little hiccup," he answered Leah with a firm tone.

"Fine. I'll go and clean up this mess," Leah huffed and turned around to go back to the crowd. Abby was still upset and I watched Ava stare at me. God, I wanted to run to her and tell her it was okay. She looked like she was seriously thinking about something.

"I need to go phase back," I said and Sam nodded. When his back was turned, I looked Ava straight in the eyes as she cuddled Liam to her chest. I turned around and headed to the tree line and phasing immediately and feeling another painful burn.

_Goddammit! Who was that?_ I asked, knowing someone else had been bitten. If we could feel this burn by proxy, I could only imagine what it actually felt like.

_Uncle Quil?! _Luka yelped, not as loud as we all had before. _Uncle Quil? Are you okay? Get up!_

_Let Carlisle take care of him, Luka,_ Tokala said. It was easy to say but we could feel the worry in Luka too. Pain and worry…it was too much. I could feel all the emotions of my brothers and I didn't want to give in and breakdown.

_Tell him to get his ass up! He promised Claire he was coming home and she's gonna be pissed beyond belief if he dies! I'm not telling her! _Luka was yelling in his head and if the situation wasn't so dire, it would've been comical. He was right though, as much as I hated to think about telling Abby that something had happened to Seth, I certainly didn't want to be the one to tell Claire that her Studmuffin had gotten even so much as a scratch. The only thing that brought me out of my thoughts was the sight of Edward stabbing the syringe into Quil's heart.

_Da-yum! _Sebastian growled as Quil breathed in and out.

_Thanks for the concern there, Luka. Nice to know you were so worried about your dear old uncle_, Quil coughed while Edward grabbed his hand and pulled him up from the ground. _Don't you dare mention this to Claire-bear…I mean, Claire._

_Wouldn't dream of it,_ I chuckled, turning a circle and trotting around the house, keeping my nose to the ground. It was quite again as the fight went on, Jake and Embry taking down the Hoodie and one more brother being bitten.

_I think we're finished_, Brady said, almost like a declaration. But I waited until the word came from Jake before I even so much as thought about the fight being finished. One by one my brothers disappeared from the mindlink and I knew it was over. We had done it, we'd actually won.

_We'll be headed home as soon as possible. We're calling the girls now but I want you all to stay wolf until we get there_, Jake said.

_Kay_, I responded. I heard a symphony of ringtones from the house, followed by giggles and squeals. I smiled when I caught a familiar scent in the air.

"Scar?!" Ava yelled. "Where are you?!" I ran from the back of the house to see her standing on the porch, her arms crossed across her chest, her OU sweatpants hugging her hips while her matching tank top caressed her body in a way I hadn't noticed before. I approached her cautiously and I noticed her shivering. I had to control my thoughts from wandering and my pack finding out how very much in love I was with Ava O'Brien. "Is it…" I nodded my large head. She climbed over the railing separating us and hopped down. She took my head into her hands and scratched behind my ears, eliciting a purr from me. "Thank you, thank you so much." Ava leaned down and placed a soft kiss on my muzzle. "Can you phase back yet?" I shook my head no and noticed a small frown on her lips. "I should go in. I made cupcakes, vanilla with coconut on top. Your favorite." She patted my head and stood up, momentarily giving me a flash of her cleavage and I swallowed hard to keep from expressing my feelings in my head. "Love you," she said before skipping back up the porch.

_I love you too_, I thought, so much more than I could ever let her know and I would hate the man that would be lucky enough to win her heart and steal her away from me. I may not have imprinted on her, but I was sure that my heart would only belong to her. My Ava.


	7. Christmas Day

**Author's Note: I do not own any of the wolves or vampires that might appear in this story. They either belong to Stephenie Meyer or to the lovely Ninadoll! The O'Brien sisters and Liam are really the only thing I might lay claim to. The mysteriously sexy Scar is Nina's invention as well. **

**Very special thank you to Ninadoll! Thank you so much for creating this universe and letting me be a part of it! It's so much fun working with you and I consider myself lucky to not only have you as a beta but a friend! You keep me motivated and encourage me when I feel like I could give up! You are an amazing person and friend! I'm so extremely happy to be writing in your universe!**

**If you haven't yet, please be sure to check out her new story about the yummy Embry Call called **_**How the Mighty Fall**_**! It is off to an amazing start and Nina has fabulous plans for it so please check it out! **

**A special birthday shout out to my friend and fellow Sooner-stater, shojioxlow! **

**As always, thank you to everyone that reads and reviews! You are very much appreciated! Enjoy! Don't forget to check out ****blog at liljenrocks{dot}blogspot{dot}com or my homepage at liljenrocks{dot}web{dot}com for pictures of clothes and such from this chapter!**

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**CHAPTER 7: CHRISTMAS DAY **

**SCAR'S POV**

"Hi, Scar!" Ashley squealed, throwing her arms around my legs. "You almost missed the presents!" Ashley always made me smile. I think part of it was the memories she conjured up of Megan. I honestly tried hard not to think about Megan, it hurt to think of her. But when I was with Ash, it was easy to remember her and it didn't hurt as bad.

"Scar," Seth greeted me with a cup of hot cocoa and a pat on the back. "Did you run all the way here?"

I took a sip of the hot liquid and nodded. "It was no biggie."

"It's freezing out there, Scar. Let Ava or Seth take you home," Abby said from her seat in the den. She was holding four month old Liam in her arms. Abby and Nessie were the closest thing to maternal figures I had and I subconsciously walked over to kiss her on the cheek. "Merry Christmas, Oscar," she said.

"Merry Christmas," I said with a slight grin. I didn't smile, I don't think I could remember how, it had been so long since I genuinely smiled.

Abby and Seth had invited me over for Christmas Eve, for a small dinner with them, Sue, Charlie and Leah. Then I would spend Christmas Day with Jake and Nessie and Christmas night with Dad. I had been trying to stay home with him more lately especially since I knew that after graduation, after I started college, I wasn't sure how often I would be home. I worried about how Dad was going to take that. For so long it had always been me and him, me being the one taking care of him, the child-parent roles reversed and I worried about how I would make sure he was fed and safe when I wasn't here. It was something I kept putting off for another day. I didn't want to think about it, especially on Christmas Eve.

"Hey," the voice I'd been longing to hear said from behind me.

I turned slowly, savoring her vanilla-rain scent. I knew she'd be beautiful, she always was, but tonight, she was more beautiful than I'd seen in months. Her longer hair was up in a messy bun and her long-sleeved red dress hugged every curve. The zebra print belt that settle right below her breasts had me working hard to keep from staring. "You look beautiful," I said, without really thinking and leaning in for a hug with Ava.

"You don't look too bad yourself, cowboy," she smirked. I didn't want to admit it, but I had dressed up. Not for myself or for anyone else, but for her. I wore my nicest jeans and a button up shirt that I'd borrowed from Luka. I dressed up for Ava. I couldn't help but smile too when she called me cowboy. It was an interesting nickname considering the fact that I had almost no cowboy-esque qualities but, well, it was hot and every time she did it, I had to keep Lil' Scar in check. "I hope you're hungry. Abby's been cooking all day. And I made something special just for you."

I raised one of my eyebrows and titled my head. "Oh, really? And what would that be?"

"You'll just have to follow me to the kitchen and find out," Ava giggled.

I did as she said and tried not to watch her sexy backside as I followed her into the kitchen to the smell of peanut butter cookies.

"Peanut butter cookies?" I asked, sniffing the air again for good measure.

She smiled and sauntered over to the refrigerator. "Not just any peanut butter cookies. Special cookies that I have every intention of including in my bakery, when I have one that is." I hopped on a stool in the kitchen and waited while she pulled a pink box out of the refrigerator and then walked over to me. "I'm going to call them Megan's Morsels," she said as she lifted the lid of the box. Nestled inside were peanut butter cookies with grape jelly in the middle.

"Megan's," I whispered. I took a deep breath and stared at the cookies.

"Scar," Ava said, taking my face in her hands and breaking my stare to bring our eyes to meet. "I don't want you to be sad, okay? I love you and I made these for you to remember the good stuff with Megan. Each one of these cookies," she lifted one of the cookie-sandwiches up, "is supposed to be a memory, something good about when she was here."

I nodded my head and pulled one of the sandwiches out. "Megan's favorite holiday was Christmas because she liked to help Mom decorate the Christmas tree. We'd spend hours finding the right tree, then bring it back to the house. Dad and I had to stay in the kitchen while they worked and when they were finished, Megan would come in and get us. She would smile so big and take my hand to drag me into the den." I paused for a minute, I had to, to keep my composure. "And every year, the tree got more beautiful." I totally looked away from Ava now because I could literally feel my heart ripping in two. "There's no sign of Christmas at our house anymore. It's too much of a reminder for Dad." I pulled the cookie up to my lips and took a bite.

"My Mom loved Christmas too," Ava said, sitting in the stool next to me. "That's one of the reasons I find this day so comforting. I look at it this way, I can sit and wallow and cry because I don't have them anymore or I can take this day to remember them. I still see them, in Abby and Ash. Everytime Abby makes a pecan pie or sings Silent Night, it's like a part of my Mom is still with me. That's why it's been amazing with Seth in the family. He's gonna read _The Night Before Christmas _again this year, and that's like having a part of Dad here." She took my hand in hers. "They can never be replaced, but we can let their memories live on. That's why I wanted you to have these cookies. They can't replace Megan's, but they can help her memory live on."

I swear on all that is holy and good, I had to keep myself from kissing her right then and there. She was possibly the brightest star in the galaxy and everything I wanted and needed in a soul mate and I wanted to fucking punch fate in the face for not giving her to me. God help me, I loved her. I knew I shouldn't, that it would just end badly and I'd probably lose my best friend, but I loved her. "Thank you, Ave," I said, pulling her into me to hug. "I'd forgotten that it was okay to think about her, without, you know, feeling guilty or sad."

Ava pulled away from me. "That's what friends are for, right?" I nodded to her. "It's just that you and I have a little more experience with loss than most friends." She hugged me again. "That's not your only gift, either, I just wanted you to have it now."

We both stood silently for a bit, not really doing anything but looking at each other. It was comforting for us to just be in each other's presence. Nothing needed to be said or done, just being together was enough. Ava leaned forward and rested her head on my shoulder and we both breathed deeply.

"I'm just telling you to think twice about it before you rush into anything, Quil," Seth said, talking into the phone and holding Liam as he opened a drawer and pulled out a burp cloth. I was too wrapped up in Ava to care what was going on with Seth and Quil, and if I concentrated, I could've heard Quil's part of the conversation, but the only thing on my mind was Ava. "Did you want my help or did you just want to tell me you think you're gonna score with my 18-year old cousin who, by the way, is still in high school?"

Ava giggled and let out a little snort. "I guess Claire must have given Quil his Christmas present."

"What was that?"

"Let's just say it's identical to what Abby gave Seth for Christmas last year," she blushed, which was totally not like Ava.

"You really don't have any?" Seth asked Quil. This time I'd heard what Quil wanted though and I had to hide my chuckle as Ava skipped out of the room. "Yeah, I get it, you've been abstinent for sixteen years and you didn't have any need for them. Now you do and you choose me for the sole purpose that I'm a doctor, right?" I covered my mouth, I'd never heard two guys have a normal conversation concerning what they were talking about…condoms. "Fine, but if Abby sees me give them to you, I won't be getting my Christmas present." The control was gone and I laughed out loud. "You hush," Seth playfully smacked me with the burp cloth.

I took a deep breath and watched Ava walk back into the room. "You ready for presents?" she asked with the widest smile, a smile that lit her whole face up and made her even more beautiful than before. She truly was amazing, heart and soul. "Ash is going crazy in there."

"Sure," I nodded. Ava put her hand out for me and I took it into mine. We held hands a lot and it always made me happy to have her hand in mine, a tiny electric current running through us. I knew it wasn't exactly like what imprints felt, I'd seen that in the heads of the imprinted wolves. But it was something, something deep and not like anything I'd ever felt with anyone else in the world.

"Sit next to me, Scar," Ashley bounced, patting the carpet next to her.

"Ash, Scar might want to sit in a chair, sweetheart," Abby said. Seth was sitting next to her on the couch, his arm around her in a protective way, watching Sue talk to Liam. I won't lie. I was jealous watching them. They loved each other so much and weren't forbidden to each other. I couldn't have Ava and I knew I needed to get that through my thick skull, but God help me, I couldn't.

"I'm going to pass out the presents and then we'll take turns opening," Ashley hopped up from the floor and ran to the Christmas tree.

"Now wait just a second. We open presents and then we eat. You have to promise me that you'll eat after you open your presents and you won't argue, okay?" Seth looked at Ashley sternly but lovingly. I was jealous of that too, the way he was able to call Ashley and Ava sisters and I got nothing.

"I promise, Seth, I promise!" Ashley practically jumped up and down in her place and Seth crumbled.

"Okay, go ahead," Seth said to her. Ava and I sat one the loveseat together, still holding hands while Ashley distributed the gifts. Sue cooed over Liam while Charlie and Leah had been relatively quiet. Sue would smile at me occasionally and Leah looked like she was anxious to get out of there as soon as possible.

"I'm just going to go make a call real quick," Leah said, sliding from her seat and walking towards Abby and Seth's bedroom.

"She just talked to him like ten minutes ago!" Seth threw his hands in the air.

"Seth," Sue scolded.

"I know, I'm happy for her, don't get me wrong, but seriously?" Seth rolled his eyes.

Abby pulled his face to look at her and ran her thumb over his jaw. "You would be the same way with me," she whispered. I watched her place a small peck on his lips and felt my mind wander again. _What would it be like to kiss Ava? Would her lips be soft? Would she want it to be romantic? Would she ever want to kiss me?_

"This gift is for Grandpa Charlie!" Ashley picked up a neatly wrapped gift and handed it to an awaiting Charlie. It was actually quite interesting to watch how she interacted with everyone and considered everyone her family. "This big box is for Scar!" she squealed. "It's heavy," she dragged it behind her. "And this tiny one is from me and then the other small one is from Abby and Seth and Liam." Ashley beamed a smile at me and dropped the presents in front of me.

"Careful!" Ava yelped and then looked at me. "It could be construed as fragile, I guess," she blushed.

I wasn't sure what any of them could be. I hadn't really expected any gifts from anyone but maybe Ava. "Don't open them yet, we take turns," Ashley smiled again before going back to the tree. By the end, the two biggest piles belonged to Liam and Ashley.

Apparently, the way Christmas Eve gifts worked at the Clearwaters' was that the youngest person opened a present then the next youngest and so on, Charlie being the last one to open gifts and Liam being the first. Ashley opened one of Liam's presents from Leah, a sweater outfit with Teddy bears on it, then she opened one of her presents from Sue and Charlie, piano lessons for the year with a teacher in La Push. I tried to remember how we had opened presents before Megan died, Mom left, and the only person Dad spent Christmas with was Jack Daniel's, but I couldn't remember. "You okay?" Ava asked, squeezing my hand and bringing me out of my stupor.

"Yeah, I was just thinking about something," I answered. Ava leaned her head on my shoulder and sighed.

"I'm happy you're here with us," she said. I lay my head on hers and closed my eyes. I could stay here, with her, forever.

"Ava, it's your turn!" Ashley said, dropping one of the boxes in her lap.

"Oh, sorry," she said, opening her gift of _The Joy of Cooking_ cookbook. She thanked Abby and Seth and then turned to me. "Your turn."

I looked at the boxes and picked up the small one from Ashley. "What could it be?" I smirked, shaking the box a little.

"You can shake it, it's not fraggle," Ashley giggled. "Seth helped me pick it out from Mr. Paul." She sat in front of me with wide-eyes, waiting for me to open the neatly wrapped package, which I knew if Paul had provided it, it must be something leather and Shipo related. "Abby wrapped it for me though."

"I'm excited," I said to her. She'd started bouncing and I knew how important this gift must've been to her. I slid my finger under the paper and tape and pulled it off in one swift move to show a green box. "Hmmm…" I pulled the lid off and moved the tissue paper to reveal and leather keychain with a sterling silver plaque engraved with wolves. "Wolves?" I asked, holding it up.

"They're my new favorite animal. I love them so much! I've seen more than just Sandy since we moved here, you know? I saw a silver one that I named Bullet and I wanna see a black one next and I'm going to name him Domino, I already decided! I've been looking and looking!" Ashley was so excited and I looked at Seth who was watching her intently, then at Sue and Leah who looked worried. "Seth helped me pick it out, I told him I wanted to get you a wolf keychain because maybe you could look at the wolves and think of me." She paused and chewed on her lip. "Do you like it?"

Like wasn't even a word I could use to describe it. It was one of the most amazing gifts I'd ever received in my life. Picked by Ashley to remind me of her, as if I could ever not remember her. And Bullet, the wolf, he was me. Ashley loved me even when I was a wolf. "Ashley, this is…" I had to take a deep breath. "I love it, Ash. It's beautiful, thank you so much." I looked Ash in the eyes and she stood up to put her arms around my neck to hug me.

"You're my big brother too, Scar," she whispered in my ear and the lump in my throat made me swallow hard again. Had I really been given the chance to be a big brother again? I'd been so bitter and so pissed for so long that I wasn't sure my heart could thaw enough to let anyone in, but it had. The pack had done that. Ashley released me and walked over to Leah. "Auntie Leah, have you ever seen a wolf?"

Leah laughed. "One or two, kid, one or two."

Ashley stayed by Leah while the gifts made their rounds, until it was my turn again and I picked up the next smallest package, this one from Abby and Seth. "Wait, wait, wait!" Abby said putting her hands up. "Ave, you need to open this one at the same time," she said. She handed Ava a small box that matched mine and we looked at each other with a smile. "Okay, go ahead."

I ripped the paper as fast as I could but Ava beat me, flipping the lid open and pulling out a shiny gold key. "What's it for?" Ava asked, turning the key and looking at it from a different angle. Mine was identical to hers and I couldn't figure out what the hell it could be for.

"That is the key to your new condo in Seattle," Seth said. "I went down a couple weeks ago and scouted out a few places and found a place that I think will suit you guys best." _Seriously? A house? _

"Really?" Ava squealed. I still couldn't wrap my head around what this meant, what this was. "Scar, did you hear that? We have a place to stay! We're going to stay together!"

I looked into her beautiful emerald eyes and realized it was a reality. "Together," I said, gripping her hand but she threw her arms around me.

"It's going to be so great! I can't wait!" she squeaked and then undid her arms from my neck, running over to Abby and hugging her. "Thank you! Thank you so much! You have no idea how totally awesome this is! This is like, this is the shit, Abbs!"

"Seth picked it out," Abby said with a small smile but I could hear a hint of sadness in her voice. "I just can't believe that you're all grown up and…" She stopped and Seth squeezed her hand, then brought it to his lips to kiss it.

I hadn't been sure anything could top the gift that Ash gave me, but this, this was amazing. "Thank you, Seth," I said, standing up and walking over to him with an outstretched hand.

His goofy grin broke out and he took my hand shaking it firmly. "Now, there are certain rules, but we'll talk about those later. And, Scar, I'm counting on you to keep an eye on Ava and Claire."

"I will, Seth, I will," I nodded. I would make sure that no one looked at Ava the wrong way, I loved her so much, I would protect her to the ends of the earth, I would happily sacrifice myself for her. Seth released my hand and I turned to hug Abby. "Thank you so much, Abby."

She patted my back. "You deserve it, Scar, and I know you'll take good care of the girls." I nodded again.

"Well now my gift is going to suck compared to that!" Ava giggled.

I looked at her with a smirk. "Somehow, I doubt that, Ave."

"It doesn't matter cuz you have to wait!" Ashley scolded us and crossed her arms across her chest with a pout. "I wanted you to like my gift best."

"He loves your gift, Ash," Leah said, hugging her, too affectionate for any other time I'd seen Leah Clearwater. Maybe this new boyfriend was softening her up. Ashley kept her pout and turned her head into Leah's neck.

"Hey, Ash, I love your gift. You know why?" I put my hand out waiting for her to take it but she seemed very reluctant until she took a deep breath and then put her hand in mine.

"Why?"

"You know you said that wolves are your favorite animal?" I asked and she nodded. "Well, they're mine too. And guess what the first key on my favorite keychain ever is going to be?" I picked up the gold condo key and slid it on the keychain. "See, now I'm all set." Ashley's smile returned to her face and she giggled as she went back to her pile of gifts.

We waited again for the gifts to make their rounds, this time, only the kids having any left. The grown-ups were finished, and Seth was rocking a very sleepy Liam, waiting for us to finish before Abby put him to bed. My last gift was from Ava and it was in a larger box. I tore into, opening the box quickly, pulling out a black motorcycle helmet. _Okay, now, why the hell would I need a motorcycle helmet? This was interesting. But how can I say something without seeming ungrateful? _

"Thanks?" I said, the word coming out more like a question than a statement really.

Ava laughed out loud. "Well don't sound so excited!"

"I'm just, I'm trying to figure out what I'm supposed to do with this?" I said, opening my mouth to say something else before Liam let out a cry, stopping me. Everyone made some remark to the sleepiness of the little baby and Abby left to put him in bed. Ashley finished her gifts and we ate dinner. It was funny how much I enjoyed just being with everyone to eat. I was still totally perplexed by the motorcycle helmet, but my mind could relax and listen to stories about Seth as a kid or Christmases the O'Briens had years ago. This was what I had always envisioned Christmas was supposed to be like: food, family, gifts, and most importantly, love.

After Seth read _The Night Before Christmas_ and Abby put Ashley to bed, Ava decided to drive me home. I could've just run but Ava and Abby refused to let it go, regardless of the fact that I could probably run faster than Ava's little Volkswagen could take us. There was something else that bothered me about Ava taking me home. She had been pestering me for the last month to meet Dad. Now I loved my father very much, but I knew the timing had to be right for him to meet Ava. I'd have to clean up his liquor bottles and make sure he was at least a little sober before introducing him to the love of my life. We talked on the drive to my house, mainly about plans for the condo and school.

The scent of the alcohol hit my nose before Ava pulled into the driveway and any thought that I had about Ava going in tonight was gone. That wasn't going to be possible because I was almost positive that Dad was passed out on the couch. "So…" she said, raising her eyebrows and stretching her neck.

"Not tonight, Ave," I replied with a sigh. "I do have something for you though for Christmas." I pulled the small box from my pocket.

"You didn't have to," and even in the darkness of the car, I could see the pinking of her cheek bones. She was beautiful, I couldn't really see her, but she was.

"Yes, but you got me this amazing helmet, which, by the way, I still have no idea what I'm going to do with, and I couldn't just let you give me a gift without reciprocating now, could I?" I asked.

"I guess not," she answered. An awkward silence filled the air until I decided to make my move.

"Okay, close your eyes," I said, slipping her present from the small box.

She giggled. "I can't see one way or another, Scar."

"I know," I slipped my fingers around her neck and slid on the necklace I'd bought her. She wouldn't know it, but it was the closest thing to an imprint bracelet I could get. No one else would look at it and know what it was but I did. I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, without any words or signs from fate that I wanted Ava as my soul mate. The necklace hung just above her breasts, with a howling wolf hanging from the pendant attached to a black string. "Okay."

Ava's fingers ran up to the pendant and she traced it carefully before turning on the overhead light. "Scar…" Her eyes started to water. Other than the fact that the wolf in me wanted everyone to know she was mine, I did have another reason for giving it to her.

"I wanted to give this to you to remind you that I'll protect you, just like I protect the tribe, I will always, always protect you," I said. The moment the words were out of my mouth, her arms were around my neck again.

"This is by far the best present ever," she whispered.

"Better than the condo?" I chuckled.

"Better than the condo," she said back, placing a small kiss on my cheek and pulling away to wipe her tears away. We both just sat there for a few minutes, silence all around. "Thank you, Scar."

I turned to her and smirked. "You're welcome."

"I promise you'll figure out more about your gift tomorrow. Now, go get some rest and I'm going home to not call Claire and to pretend to be asleep while Abby and Seth play Santa," Ava giggled and gave me one last hug before I got out of the Bug and headed into the house to find Dad already in bed and I walked to my room to find my own slumber, dreaming of a life where I wasn't a wolf and I was allowed to love Ava. Or better yet, a life where she would love me at all.

**AVA'S POV**

After dropping Scar off at his house, I really, really wanted to call Claire and gush over the necklace that he'd given me, but I knew she was otherwise occupied. I guess my family would have to do for now. It shouldn't have surprised me when I pulled up to see Seth in the driveway, waiting for Sadie to do her business. I had to give it to him. Seth knew how to give gifts, like really good gifts. I mean, the dude gave me and Scar a condominium, and, hell, if Ash had asked, he probably would've given her a freakin' pony and stables! The funny part was that, sometimes, when people gave extravagant gifts, it was their way of buying someone's love. That wasn't Seth's deal though, he did it because he loved us, genuinely, and as much as the jealousy ate at my insides, that I couldn't have my wolf, I was glad to have someone like Seth in my life.

"Nice, Seth," I nodded after getting out of my car and shoving my keys in my purse. Sadie was whining, I'm sure pissed that she couldn't find any place that hadn't been marked by the "stray" wolves in the area.

"Someone's gotta do it. I just wished it didn't take so long for her to go," Seth furrowed her brow while Sadie came over and sat in front of Seth, putting her paw out to shake. He took it, shook, and scratched her ears. We walked down the sidewalk to the front door. "Did you get Scar home?"

He opened the door and let me in, shutting the door behind me. "Yeah, he gave me this really cool necklace," I said, pulling it out for Seth to see.

"That's a Quileute wolf," he said. "That's very cool, Ave. Very cool." He seemed genuine but he pursed his lips a little as Abby walked into the room.

"Two down, one to go," she breathed a sigh of relief looking at me then back to Seth. "What did Quil want?"

I threw my hand over my mouth. I knew what Quil wanted and I knew that if he got it from Seth, Abby would be thoroughly pissed. "Just needed to pick up something for Claire," Seth said with a yawn. _Damn! That wasn't entirely a lie_.

"So, on that note, I think I'm going to bed. Don't want to interrupt Santa's helpers," I chuckled, saying my good nights to Seth and Abby and then heading to my bedroom. The plans for tomorrow were fairly simple. We'd spend the morning at Aunt Tess and Uncle Rob's before heading over to the Blacks' that night for a pack Christmas gathering.

I wasn't used to going to bed so early but Scar was asleep and Claire was, well, otherwise occupied. So I lay in my bed and stared at the ceiling, wondering what the condo looked like or what our rooms would be like, if we would share a bathroom and I might accidentally see him naked. Damn me! Apparently those thoughts were enough to put me to sleep though. I woke up to the sound of Ashley poking at me and then giggling when I swatted at her hand.

"You have to get up! Santa came! He really came and he brought you and me and Liam surprises!" she jumped on the bed next while I groaned.

"Go get Abby and Seth up," I threw a pillow as Sadie jumped up on the bed.

"I did already! They locked their door but I knocked and then Abby let me in," she stopped jumping on the bed and lay on her stomach to look at me and put her hands under her chin. "Why do you think they lock their door?" _Wow! No idea how to answer that._ I thought maybe she'd just forget the question but she kept staring at me with deep green eyes.

"Sometimes grown ups like to play a game and part of the game is locking the door. The winner is the person that unlocks the door first," I was totally making this shit up.

Ashley looked at me seriously. "Are you talking about sex?"

My eyes widened and I could practically feel my heart speed up. "Where did you hear that?"

"At school, this fifth grader said that she caught her big brother doing sex in their basement," she was so serious and yet looked like such a little gossip diva that I had to rein in the urge to laugh. "She said they were kissing a lot and she said that's what sex is. Plus, I already kinda knew that because Abby and Seth used to kiss all the time and then Liam was born and I heard on TV that babies come from sex. So sex is kissing, right?"

_Merry Christmas to me_! "Sure, that's exactly what it is," I lied. How do you explain the actual elements of sex to a seven-year old? And would it really hurt for her to think that sex was kissing? I made an executive decision in that moment and decided just to go with it.

"Will you and Scar ever have sex?" she batted her eyelashes at me.

"Have you ever seen me kiss Scar?" I asked and she shook her head. "Then no sex for us. You know, you might not want to go around talking about sex though. It's kinda a private thing." Ashley sighed then took my hand and we walked down the stairs where Seth was hiding his face, the wolf-hearing no doubt giving him an all-access pass to the sex conversation I'd just had with Ashley. "You two owe me big time," I glared playfully at them.

Santa Claus had indeed come and it was a joyous morning at the O'Brien-Clearwater home, complete with a few more gifts and a delicious cup of coffee while I watched Ashley ride her new bicycle around the living room and Liam bounce in his bouncy chair. Seth and Abby were cuddled up on the sofa again, while Sadie chewed on a new toy she'd gotten from Santa. And my Christmas gift was complete with an "A" keychain from Santa. All-in-all I'd say it was a good Christmas.

After I had dressed and was ready to go to Aunt Tess's, I picked up my phone to text message Scar to find a text waiting for me. _Merry Christmas to my best friend in the whole world! Love, Scar_. It made me smile but it cut me to the core too. I was his best friend and that was all I was ever going to be and the soon I realized that, the sooner things wouldn't hurt quite so bad. I didn't tell anyone this but sometimes, when Claire and Quil and Scar and I would go places, I would intentionally avoid places where I knew there would be a lot of girls. I was scared to death that he would imprint and I'd lose him forever. But right now, I need to just worry about getting through today.

_Merry Christmas to you too! Can't wait to see you at N & J's! Love ya! Ave_

I shut my phone and contemplated calling Claire but as a recovering sex-haver I knew that it wasn't a good idea to get the dirty details. I'd have to wait until tonight. And I did, I waited forever, it seemed like. Until we finally, after all the family fun, went to the Blacks' for Christmas night with the rest of the pack. It really was a fun celebration, food and drinks for the adults. Ashley played with the little kids and I laughed at how much all the little boys looked like a miniature version of the pack. I couldn't help but laugh.

"What's so funny?" Scar said taking a seat next to me.

I pointed to Remy as he chased Hawke around the couch. "They look like a mini-wolf pack!" I giggled. I looked over at Scar and smiled at him. _If we had babies, would they be part of the mini-wolf pack_? Shit, what was wrong with me? I shook my head and put my head down.

"You okay?" he asked and I nodded. This was becoming dangerous. As much as I loved Scar and I wanted to be his friend, I couldn't stop myself from envisioning a life with him, a life where we were together, with a family and a future. A life I knew we'd never have. "Claire just got here."

I bounded up from my seat and ran to her at the door. She and Quil were arm-in-arm and he kissed her on the cheek before his smile took over his whole face. _Yep, someone definitely got laid last night._ Claire's eyes met mine and she momentarily let go of Quil to hug me. "How are you?" I whispered.

"I'm okay. I don't know if I can sit down though," she whispered back, and I heard about three wolves crack up laughing as she blushed.

I hugged her again. "If it makes you feel any better, they'd probably see it in the pack mind anyway," I said.

"Yeah, I hate that," she stomped her feet.

I had to agree with her, though I really had no idea what that would be like. Scar and I never did anything that might be offensive if anyone ever saw it. Now, if I were the wolf, the poor guys would be flooded with the images of all my fantasies, and let's just say a lot of them were not so PG-rated.

"Now that Quil finally decided to grace us with his presence, let's eat," Jake announced loudly and was met with a round of applause. As usual, the moms helped the little kids get their food, while fixing their own plates. Then the other non-wolves went next, the wolves being last because, well, everyone knows if they went first, there'd be no food left for anyone else to eat.

After dinner, I knew it was about time for Jake to give Scar his Christmas present, a gift that would definitely help my gift make much more sense to him. I was getting antsy too, I couldn't help it. Everyone was having a good time and I put up the front that I was too but I was ready for Scar to see his gift. I was ready to see his reaction to it. I'd known about it for months, since Jake had come up with the idea, and very unlike me, I kept my mouth quiet and didn't say a word.

I'd been so lost in my thoughts I didn't even hear Nessie, as she patted Scar's back. "Can we steal you for a moment?" And I knew it was time. "You can come too, Ava," she smiled and revealed her beautiful white teeth.

"Okay," I said while Scar helped me up. He kept his hand in mine and I wanted so badly to snuggle up to him. Heaven knows he'd keep me warm. We followed Jake and Nessie to their garage where Scar's surprise was waiting.

"Do you know what it is?" he asked, his hot breath all wet and warm and making me think naughty thoughts as it tickled my neck. And I felt my body nod to him. "Why haven't you spilled the beans?"

"I-I promised N-ness," I stuttered. I tried to get my body under control but it wasn't working. What sucked worst of all was praying that he couldn't catch the scent, if you know what I mean.

Jake stopped us at the garage door. "Okay, Mr. Scar, as you have probably guessed, Nessie and I wanted to give you something special for Christmas this year." He wrapped his arm protectively around his wife.

"We think of all you boys as our family, but you seem to work so hard," Ness smiled.

"And we know you're going off to college in the Fall and we want to make sure that you're well-equipped for it. So I had the guys get together and fix a little something up for you," Jake pulled open the door to reveal Scar's gift: a black and blue Shipo motorbike.

Scar didn't say anything at first and he had a confused look on his face. "Wait. That's…okay, wait, the bike…That's mine?" He started to move towards it but he stopped. "I don't understand. This is too much, Jake. You've already given me the college trust fund, I can't…"

Ness eased her way out of Jake's arm and came over to Scar, wrapping him up in a hug. "I'm so proud of you, Scar. And I love you, sweetie, and you deserve so much more than a bike, but this is something we can give you, something tangible."

Scar's eyes were filled with tears and I could see Jake urging him forward. "Thank you," he looked at me. "I feel like I've had more to be thankful for in the last few days than in my entire life." Scar touched the seat of the bike. "It's awesome, Jake," he threw his arm around him in a manly hug before he turned to me. "That's what the helmet's for?"

"Yep," I answered simply and then, in a matter of a second, felt myself being lifted until Scar's hands were on my hips and I was over his head, putting my hands on his shoulders.

"Thank you, Ava!" And then, for the first time since I'd known Scar, he did something I'd never seen before. He smiled, a real genuine smile. And my insides warmed at the thought that I had had even the slightest bit to do with that. I could spend forever in his arms, and I would hold that smile in my heart for as long as I lived.


	8. Graduation Day

**Author's Note: I do not own any of the wolves or vampires that might appear in this story. They either belong to Stephenie Meyer or to the lovely Ninadoll! The O'Brien sisters and Liam are really the only thing I might lay claim to. The mysteriously sexy Scar is Nina's invention as well. **

**Thank you, thank you to Ninadoll for creating this universe and for encouraging me. If you haven't yet, please be sure to check out her new story about Embry called **_**How the Mighty Fall**_**! And don't forget to congratulate her on her win of the Twitastic Award for Best Jake and Renesmee Story for **_**How Wonderful Life is Now You're in the World**_**! I am so extremely proud of her!**

**Funny story to share. In the musical, **_**Oklahoma,**_** there's a song called "The Farmer and the Cowman Should Be Friends." Last night, shojioxlow and I went to see **_**Eclipse**_**, we tend to have hilarious commentary, but the scene where Billy and Carlisle shake hands, Shoji looks at me and sings, "Oh, the vampire and the werewolf should be friends…" I literally laughed for a good thirty minutes afterwards.**

**As always, thank you to everyone that reads and reviews! You are very much appreciated! Enjoy! Don't forget to check out ****blog at liljenrocks{dot}blogspot{dot}com or my homepage at liljenrocks{dot}web{dot}com for pictures of clothes and such from this chapter!**

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**CHAPTER 8: GRADUATION DAY**

**SCAR'S POV**

Time seemed to pass quickly from Christmas. Ava and the Clearwaters and I had taken one or two trips to Seattle to get registered for school, and though we'd looked at the condo a few times, there were no definite plans for who would have which room and such. That wouldn't be made until we moved in, in August. I rang in the New Year with Ava and Claire and Quil, as well as some of the other wolves my age, like Luka, Lil' G and Scott. Then we all spent Valentine's Day together, except for Quil and Claire, who used that day for some "alone time."

Spring Break was Hell on Earth. For the first time in who knows how long, Ava and I were separated for a week, seven days that seemed the bane of my existence. She and Ashley went to Oklahoma, and I was stuck here, on the reservation, doing patrols for some of the other wolves that could actually afford to go on vacation. I'm not complaining about that though. I owed Jake and Nessie a lot and would do whatever I could to show them that, even if extra patrols were the extent of my affection. Jake gave me lessons on how to "properly" ride the bike they'd gotten me, and lately even Embry and I had started to hang out. I found a bit of a kindred spirit in him although in the last few months he seemed especially morose. We both grew up without one of our parents and we were both a little bitter. The difference was that he released his pent up frustration through sex, I released it through Ava. Now, in the back of my mind, I would've loved to combine the two, but that wasn't happening anytime soon, if ever. So I spent a whole seven days without my favorite person, though Abby and Seth had me over for dinner five times during that time, I think to ease Abby's mind and "keep me out of trouble," as she liked to say. The day she got back you can bet I was standing at baggage claim, and it was my arms Ava ran into.

"Promise me we'll never be apart for that long. It was torture!" she whispered while we sat in the backseat of Seth's Rover. She stuck her pinky out for me, her tongue darting out of the side of her mouth.

"Promise," I answered and then wrapped her hand in mine.

By the time May rolled around, to say I was tired was an understatement, I was exhausted. But the thing that kept me going was the light at the end of the tunnel: graduation. Jake had lessened my patrol over the next week to study for my finals and get plenty of rest. I was excited, for the first time in a long time, I was excited. There had been a time when I wasn't sure what kind of future I would have, if I had any at all. I couldn't think of doing anything other than staying in La Push and taking care of my Dad but, unlike some of the others that had wolfed out, I was actually thankful that I had phased. Being a part of the pack gave me a future. It wasn't just me thinking about what I wanted to do with my life, it was Jake and Nessie encouraging me to study and to apply for colleges; it was Abby and Seth, giving me a place to live, and Ava giving me a best friend; and it was Embry, mentoring me and telling me my ideas were good. The pack was my family.

As much as I loved this life, I also knew it was a dangerous life to live. I'm not even talking about the real danger that existed in being a wolf. Sure, that was always in the back of my mind. You never knew what might happen, what kind of freaky vamp might wander onto the rez. But the danger I was worried about was more human. If I had learned anything in my life, it was that things can be given, but just as quickly, things can be taken away. I feared that one day, all of this would be taken away. But I wouldn't say anything, I would keep my faith and hope for now and wait and pray that nothing would happen.

Like now, when I'm laying on my bed, studying for my damn Physics final and really wishing I was at the Clearwaters' with Ava. Ava was under strict orders to study and I had been deemed a distraction, so she was there and I was here.

"Oscar, can you come here?" Dad's voice came from the living room.

I sighed and dragged myself up. "Sure," I groaned. Dad had been encouraging me a lot lately but I knew he was scared too. I had taken care of him for so long that I knew he was scared what might happen when I was gone.

As soon as I walked out the door of my bedroom, the scent of blood hit my nose. I could tell it wasn't just a little blood either, it had to be lots of blood. I made it to the living room faster than I had ever walked before. Dad was sitting on the floor with a broken bottle in his hand. "I cut myself a little," he said softly, raising the wound a little.

"A little?" I yelped. Little was not the word I would've used. There was a puddle of blood around him and his skin was an ashy color. He had to have been bleeding for awhile. "When did you cut yourself?"

"Just like…I don't…I," he couldn't even make a complete sentence and I could smell the alcohol everywhere.

"How much did you drink, Dad?" I asked, pulling a blanket from the back of the couch and wrapping his hand in it.

"I don't know, I just finished some stuff," he slurred his words as he spoke. I don't know how he was getting liquor, I sure as hell hadn't been buying it for him and he very rarely went out, but nonetheless, he had it. "I finished the bottle and then I dropped so I picked up the glass."

I pulled his hand to me, "Let me see." I unwrapped the blanket and looked at the large gash in his hand. He must have closed his hand around the glass without thinking. Regardless, I knew this wasn't something a band-aid could fix, this was going to need some major medical attention and there was no way in hell I was taking him to a hospital. "I'm gonna call a doctor, you sit right here, do you hear me?" I felt like I was scolding a dog or a child but it was pretty much what Dad was like in his drunken state.

"NO Doctors! I hate doctors!" He begged.

"Too bad. You should've thought about that before you broke the bottle," I could feel my anger starting to get the better of me and I had to take deep breathes to control myself. I couldn't phase here in the living room and I certainly couldn't phase in front of my Dad who had no idea that shapeshifters were real. I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket and dialed the number to the only person that I felt like I could trust with this situation.

"Dr. Clearwater's phone," Abby giggled. I looked at the clock to see it was well past eleven. There's no telling what I was breaking up at this hour between an imprinted couple.

"Hey, Abby. It's Scar, I…can I talk to Seth?" I asked, feeling shy all of the sudden.

"Sure, sweetie. You okay?" she asked. I really wanted to break down and cry but I just took another deep breath.

"Yeah, I just might need some medical help," I looked down at Dad's wrapped hand in my own hand and wondered how I could change this, how could my life be different.

"Okay, here he is," she said softly, passing the phone off. "It's Scar."

"Scar, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Seth chuckled. I knew he was busy and if I wasn't afraid my Dad might bleed out, I'd have let this wait until morning.

"My Dad cut himself. I think he might need stitches but I didn't want to take him to the hospital. I was wondering…"

"Of course, I'll be right there. Give me like ten minutes," Seth said and I could already hear him moving around to get ready. I hung up the phone. I was worried about Dad, but I was also so pissed that I couldn't see straight. What the hell was he thinking?

"Oscar," Dad started to do the guilt part of his drunkenness but I knew better than to let in. I helped him make his way to his recliner then went to get him a cup of coffee to maybe sober up a little before Seth got here. I handed him the strong black liquid just as there was a rap on the door.

"Stay here," I told him firmly while I got up to get the door. Seth stood on the porch with his bag in hand. You could tell he was in bed when I'd called. He was wearing sweats and a red baseball cap with white embroidered OU on it. It was an emblem I'd become familiar with hanging out at the Clearwater's. "Thank you so much for coming," I opened the door to let Seth in.

"Not a problem. You know you can always call if need anything," he patted my back as I led him to the living room where Dad was laying back in the recliner. "Mr. Monroe, how are you this evening?"

Dad looked at him like he'd grown a third eye. "Who the hell are you?"

"I'm Dr. Clearwater, but you can call me Seth. Now, let me take a look at this hand," Seth sat next to him and slipped on his latex gloves. He slowly unwrapped the blanket and I felt my stomach lurch at the sight of the wound. The cut was deeper than I thought and seeing how much damage he'd done made me sick. "Let's hope you didn't cut any tendons." He had me get some hot water and a clean rag so he could wash out the wound while Dad gripped the sides of his La-Z-Boy until the knuckles on his good hand were white. "Luckily, it looks like he's just going to need stitches." Seth pulled a few tools from his bag while I kept my eyes on Dad. His face was contorted in an expression that I had to turn away to keep from laughing. "This might hurt a little." No sooner had the words left Seth's mouth than Dad let out a loud yelp.

"What the fuck are you doing to me?" He started to stand from his seat but I pushed him down as fast as I could.

"Hold still," I ordered, keeping my hand on his shoulder.

Seth didn't' seemed fazed though, he just kept working away until Dad decided to start talking to him. "Clearwater? You related to Harry Clearwater?" He asked.

"Yes, that's my Dad," Seth didn't look up. There were times that I envied Seth. I know it sounds horrible to say but in some ways, I thought, he got off easier than I did. His father didn't choose to leave him, to become some drunken bastard who couldn't manage to pick up glass without slicing his hand open. His Dad left him with the idea that he was loved. I didn't have that. I woke up every morning thinking the only reason my father even kept me around was because he needed someone to take care of him. That wasn't love, that was dependency.

"It was a sure shame when he died. I remember that. Heart attack, wasn't it?" Dad rambled on.

"Yes, at home," Seth answered frankly. He was almost finished and was putting the last stitch in. "You know, Mr. Monroe, your son is a pretty special kid. Can you believe his graduating on Saturday? And with a 4.0 GPA? I couldn't be more proud of him if he was my own son."

_Shit…_There was a reason I hadn't told him about graduation. Mostly because I was really afraid he'd actually decide to come, not that I didn't love my father. I was just afraid what might happen if he came, how he might act. I wanted him to be there because I wanted him to be proud, but I wasn't sure if the reward was worth the toil.

But I looked at Dad and saw the one look I had tried so hard to never see from him: hurt. He looked at me and it felt like a knife going through my heart. "You didn't tell me about graduation?" He asked.

"Um, I just forgot," I lied and I knew that he and Seth could see right through it.

"Well, we're having a little get together after La Push's graduation Saturday. Why don't you guys swing by?" Seth asked with a smile on his face while he bandaged Dad's hand.

"That'd be great. What time?" Dad asked.

"About seven. Forks' graduation is at two, then La Push's is at four. That should give you plenty of time," Seth finished up and shut his case. "All fixed. Now," he pulled out a bottle of aspirin. "Let Scar clean up that glass and you take two of these with a full glass of water. Leave it bandaged and I'll come by Friday to check out how it's healing."

"Thank you, Dr. Clearwater," Dad said before he scratched his head.

"Yeah, thanks, Seth," I said, putting my hand out for him to shake. He took it and then spoke very low, so low that Dad wouldn't hear.

"Follow me out," he said. I nodded and excused myself, walking out with Seth to his car. He was being very serious and took a deep breath as he opened the back and put his bag in. "Why didn't you tell your Dad about your graduation?" Seth asked me. He had a look on his face that I couldn't place. I didn't know if he was pissed off or if he was worried, he just looked different.

"Because, you saw him. If he were your father would you want him there?" It was the first time I'd spoken the words out loud. I'd never, ever, ever in my life let on that I was pissed, no frustrated, with the hand fate had dealt me. I did the good son routine and helped my Dad with everything, but deep inside, I was hurting.

Seth's face softened a little then. "You heard your Dad, talking about my Dad, right?"

"Yeah."

"Yeah, so my Dad, he didn't get to come to my high school graduation. Or my college graduation, or my wedding. My Dad won't get to see his grandchildren or meet his daughter-in-law. My Dad is literally gone, Scar. He's never coming back. Ever," Seth looked down and then back at me again. "Your Dad may not be the best, but he's the only Dad you've got. And he's here, with you, and I know he's a pain in the ass and I know you hate what he's become but he's your Dad."

"You don't understand," I shook my head and kicked a rock. This was not a conversation I wanted to be having now, or ever really.

"I do understand," he rebutted. "I was pretty pissed at my Dad too, Scar. I was pissed that he left me, left our family."

"But he's dead! He didn't choose to shrivel up into a shell. He didn't decide that it was easier to go through life with his head in a bottle. It's not the same," I shoved him a little but I should've known, as the older wolf, he was stronger and faster, and he grabbed my arm.

"You're right. It's not the same. But I want you to go in that house, look at your father, and tell me if you don't see any love in that man's face. I get that he's not made the best choices, I understand that you hurt just as much as he does from your loss. And I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that that man in there loves you, and he deserves the chance to see you walk across that stage and get your diploma. A father's love…" Seth looked down and his voice broke. "It never dies. Even when he's drunk or hung over, he loves you. And more than that, he gives you a challenge."

"What's that?" I rolled my eyes. _Just what I needed, another fucking challenge._

"Be someone that makes him want to change. Be a better man than he dreamed of being, a better husband, a better father, anything. I know you, Scar. I may not know you as well as Ava does, but I know you. And I have so much faith in you. Do you think I would let my sister-in-law move to a big city with someone that I didn't know was destined for great things?" Seth let loose of my arm and I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from crying.

"What if I can't do it?" I whispered. There were other reasons I hadn't told my Dad about graduation. I was scared shitless of the future, mostly because I was afraid I would fail.

"You can. I know you can," he patted my back. Seth cleared his throat and I heard his voice crack again. "You may not have had much of a family before, but I promise you, you will always have a place in mine. Abby and I will be there to help you with anything that you need. And Ava and even Ashley. Of course, she might require payment in the form of dancing, but it all works out in the end," he chuckled and I joined in. "Not just us either, Scar. Jake and Ness, Quil and Claire, Embry, we're all here cheering you on because we know you can do it. **We** are your family too." Before I knew what I was doing, Seth had pulled me into a hug and I knew that's exactly what I needed. I felt a little of the bitterness and the fear melt away. Not all, but some of it.

"Thank you, Seth," I said, releasing him. "For everything."

Seth chuckled and headed towards his car. "It was nothing, bro. Now, go study. Ava said you have four finals tomorrow and we're all expecting A's." I nodded and watched him get in the Land Rover and drive off.

I walked into the house to see Dad already asleep on the couch. The glass was still broken on the floor and I leaned down, picking it up piece by piece before I cleaned up the puddle of blood then threw out the blanket I had wrapped around the wound. I got an old quilt out of the closet in the hall way and covered Dad up. I turned the TV off and let out a loud sigh. I needed to study more, but I was too tired. I decided to go with the theory, anything I didn't know, I wasn't going to learn tonight. Besides, now I was going to have to prepare myself for Dad's visit into society.

**AVA'S POV**

"Amber Marie Medford," Mr. Roland, the Forks High School principal, announced.

"Bitch," Claire said under her breath as the most stuck up person in the graduating class of Forks High School walked across the stage.

"Would it be bad to wish she'd fall on her face?" I asked. I really did wish she'd fall on her face, especially after I'd caught her eyeing Scar like a piece of meat on First Beach after some of the Forks kids thought it'd be fun to have a bonfire near the same place a few of us La Push kids were having our own get together. Oh, yeah, I was a Forks kid. I didn't really consider myself that, though. Claire didn't either. We were La Push kids that just happened to go to school in Forks.

"You're up, Miss Munholland," Mrs. Nowata, the school secretary said, pulling Claire forward.

"Claire Elizabeth Munholland," Mr. Roland said as my friend walked across the stage to accept her diploma. It wasn't hard to know where our families were sitting either because the moment Claire's high heeled foot hit the stage, a loud thunderous commotion erupted from the first few rows of the audience, tall, buff, muscled Native American men making up about 50% of the noise.

"Way to go, Claire-bear!" the biggest smile, the most noise, the most pride came from Quil as he stood up and hooped and hollered. "I'm so proud of you, Baby!" I couldn't help but giggle. Quil was one of the manliest men I knew but he could melt at the sight of his Claire-bear. _Damn imprint…_

"Ava," Mrs. Nowata smiled and ushered me forward. I moved to the stage.

"Ava Caroline O'Brien," Mr. Roland spoke and my smile got bigger as the same thunderous applause that had greeted Claire led me across the stage too.

Mr. Porum, the superintendent, shook my hand and handed me the rolled up piece of paper. "You seem to have quite the crowd, Miss O'Brien."

"Just my family," I smiled, looking out at them to see Seth holding Ashley up, all of them clapping and Abby wiping a few tears from her cheek. Scar sat next to her, dressed in a shirt and tie that Nessie had taken him to get a few days ago. He looked like an absolute god and I was so proud to have him with my family. Aunt Tess and Uncle Rob applauded and even Jake and Nessie cheered like I was somehow biologically related to them.

I sat through a slide show someone had put together for the class and turned back to look at Scar when our prom picture was displayed for everyone to see. It was probably a more intimate pose than it should've been, Scar's arm around me with my head on his chest, dancing. Only I could make "Prom in Oz" an eye-fuck fest. There were a few other pictures of Claire and me included but, in my opinion, the best picture in the whole show was the picture of Scar and me.

As soon as the ceremony was over, the diploma's passed out and the mortarboards thrown with no eyes poked out by the damn hats, Abby's arms were around me faster than you could say 'graduation.' "I'm so, so proud of you, Ava," she sobbed, hugging me tight.

"Thanks, Abby," I hugged back and hoped I could put half the love I felt for my sister in that hug. She really had been more than any of us deserved, saving us from separation and being a mother when we needed one and a friend when we needed that too. As much hell as I put her through, I knew I was lucky to have her.

"Ava! Look how you look all dressed up!" Ashley squealed and jumped up on me until I pulled her up to sit on my hip. "I love yellow! It's my favorite color!" She pulled on my graduation gown and I sat her down on her feet. It was actually funny that she liked it because I hated the putrid mustard-vomit colored polyester fabric concoction.

"Thank you," I kissed her cheek while she giggled. "Where's my nephew?" I asked just as Sue walked up to us, Liam in her arms. "There's the most handsome boy I know." I reached out and Sue put him in my hands.

"I thought that was me?" Scar walked up and even though he was joking, I seriously did think he was the most handsome thing I'd ever seen in my life.

"Yeah, sure," I scoffed. I knew I was blushing but I looked down and prayed he didn't see it.

"Here, Quil's going to take our picture," Seth chuckled, taking Liam from me.

I stood in the middle, Ashley beside me on one side, Abby on the other with Seth next to her and then, behind Ashley, the last of my family, Scar. I smiled looking at him while he smiled back. It was perfect and I knew it would be the first picture to grace the walls of our condo.

After my graduation and the flashbulbs of the pictures, it was time to head to La Push for Scar's graduation. It was a smaller affair than Forks' but I was completely jealous of the black cap and gown Scar got to wear. The ceremony was held in the Quileute Tribal Center and I straightened out my grey dress before I sat down. I looked around and saw a few familiar places but there was one face I was looking for, one that I'd never seen before but I was sure I would know if I saw.

"Seth went to get him," Abby said, slightly bouncing Liam.

I cocked my head and looked at my sister. "Who?"

"You know who. He'll be here in a minute," she grinned.

"How did you know who I was looking for?"

"I just know. I'm the big sister, I get paid to know those things," Abby winked. "They're here anyway so you can relax." She nodded towards the door of the crowded Tribal Center, and sure enough, Seth stood helping a middle aged man into the center. He looked up and smiled at us before bringing the man over to our seats.

"Have a seat, Mr. Monroe," Seth helped him sit down before Jake came over and started talking to him. The man was dressed in a suit with a bandaged hand. He was tall and looking at him, I could see where Scar got his general looks. He was a handsome man, and I couldn't stop looking. One by one, the wolves introduced themselves to the man I knew was Scar's dad. I was watching him so intently and just as I got up to introduce myself, the loud recording of _Pomp and Circumstance_ started and I sighed in defeat.

The La Push ceremony was much quicker than ours, but it felt more personal. The principal told a personal story for each graduate. I was kinda a little jealous, other than the fact that Scar got to wear a black cap and gown and I was forced to wear pukey yellow. Our principal had to be told how to pronounce our names in advance and here this dude knew every student and had something amazing to tell about them. He talked about how one of the students spent the whole school year working with his father to build a handcarved canoe, and how another had started her own charity collecting stuffed animals for tribal foster children. Then came my favorite story. It was about a young man that had been failing almost every class, missed school at least once a week, and then did a complete turnaround, graduating third in his class and was going to college to major in automotive engineering. My Scar…well, he wasn't my Scar, but I don't know. Even if he wasn't, he was. He was so much a part of me and my life and I loved him…like really, really loved him. In a way that one friend shouldn't love another.

"Look, Ave!" Ashley hopped in my lap and pointed to the stage where Scar was waiting for his name to be called.

"Oscar Alexander Monroe," the tiny woman at the microphone announced as Scar straightened up and walked across the stage to shake the hand of the principal. He looked proud and strong like he always did but for once, he looked confident. I turned to look at his Dad who had a huge smile on his face and, I swear, watery eyes. I'd never heard Scar say much about his Dad that was anything but bitter and I understood it, I got it. I would be pissed too if my sister had died, my Mom left, and the only thing I had to love me and guide me checked out of life and into a bottle. He didn't think I knew that his Dad was alcoholic but I did. I had heard things, things that Claire said as an afterthought, but I heard them and I knew. I guess that's one of the reasons I was intrigued to see him and try to understand.

I turned my attention back to Scar and watched his fine ass walk back to his seat. He had a slight smile on his lips and the tingling sensation between my legs was no bueno for the middle of a graduation ceremony. I seemed to keep getting distracted, this time just looking at Scar, in his cap and gown and suit, wanting to take it all off him and have my way with him.

"Why are you sweating so much?" Ash asked beside me. I ran my hand over my heavily moist brow and sighed. Talk about being hot and bothered. I tended to sweat a lot when I was turned on or when I was stressed. I was going to say that at the moment, I was stressed. Right?

"Gavin Peter Sinclair," Mr. Roland announced,

"Lil' G's name is Gavin?" Abby said, hiding a chuckled.

I could hear other voices around me, mainly the principal's, but I couldn't stop staring at Scar. I really was so proud of him, in so many ways, and even though I knew we'd never get to be together, I couldn't help but imagine a life where we could. He'd work with cars or motorbikes and I'd own my own bakery/café. I could almost see us sitting on the couch with a baby in my arms. It was perfect, too perfect for fate, I guess.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I present the La Push High School graduating class…" the principal kept speaking but the sound of a thunderous applause drowned him out. One by one the graduates stood up while the applause lulled through the tribal center and the caps came off then found their way into the air. Everything was bit chaotic as people looked around for their graduate. But I knew right where mine was, my eyes hadn't left him. Even when I was daydreaming, it was him that I watched.

"Congratulations, Cowboy," I smiled as he walked towards us. I don't really know why I called him "cowboy," it just seemed right for him. He was rugged and tough and hardworking, just like the cowboys of old.

"Thanks," Scar said shyly. "I feel like an idiot in this dumb get up." He raked his hand up and down to display his graduation garb.

"Nah, it's cool. It suits you, all smart and cool," I joked, jabbing at him until he pulled me into a hug. His arms were always so warm and I found myself closing my eyes to savor the connection between us.

"There's my boy," a deep, scratchy voice said from behind me.

"Hey, Dad," Scar gave the man a bit of a nod.

"Oh no, you don't! Get over here and give me a hug. You may be a grownup now but you're still my son," the man said, pulling Scar completely away from me to hug him.

"Thanks," Scar sighed a little as he hugged the man then pulled away. Scar's father was smiling brighter than I had ever seen anyone smile and it made me feel guilty for having such harsh feelings towards him. "Oh," Scar put his hand out for me and I took it. "This is Ava O'Brien, my best friend. Her sister is married to Dr. Clearwater."

"Yeah, but don't hold that against me," I smirked, totally kidding, and Seth chuckled from next to us. "It's very nice to finally meet you," I put my hand out to shake.

"And you. I swear my son spends more time with you than anyone else and I don't know where his manners are, waiting until now to introduce you."

"Well, sorry," Scar sighed and pulled me closer into his side. "You've met now so we're all good, right?"

Both Scar's dad and I looked at him, an innocent grin on his face. "Sure, sure," I chuckled, eliciting a laugh from Jake who was standing with Nessie and Griffin by Abby and Seth. "Mr. Monroe, you're coming to dinner, right? It's nothing big, just a get together of the pa—our friends." I stopped myself before I blew it. Sometimes it was hard for me to remember that not everyone's families were privy to the pack secret. I like to think that besides being Scar's best friend, I was just the epitome of awesomeness and therefore was allowed to know.

"Yes, if that's still okay?" he asked like a question, looking up at Scar. I could tell he was seeking approval, something typical of a child, not an adult.

"Of course," Scar nodded. "But, we'll have to see if you can ride with Abby and Seth or Jake and Ness because I'm on my bike." Oh, yes. The Bike, the bike that makes me have all kinds of unrealistic, tantric, erotic, animalistic fantasies. It was also Scar's pride and joy. He took better care of that bike than some do a puppy.

"He can ride with us," Nessie smiled.

"Then it's settled," I said. "Your Dad will ride with Ness and Jake and I'll ride with you."

Scar raised his eyebrow. "You'll ride with me, eh?"

I looked at him, pretending to be hurt. "What? You don't want me to? You want me to walk?"

"Heavens, no! I just wasn't sure you'd wanna have to straddle anything in that dress," he said, pointing at my grey dress. I don't think he meant anything sexual by it, but I heard every innuendo imaginable and my heart sped up and my legs tingled. "Not to mention those heels. How you women walk in them, I'll never understand." He shook his head.

"Whatever," I rolled my eyes and grabbed his hand. "See you at the house, Abbs!" I pulled on Scar to leave and listened to Jake and Seth cackle behind me. "You guys are worse than women!" I yelled back at them as we crossed the threshold of the tribal center.

Scar's bike was parked under the awning and the sun danced on the blue paint. I watched him while he took out the extra helmet and handed it to me. I crinkled my nose, knowing how it was going turn my hair into a rats' nest. "It's the law, Ava," he shook his head at me while I reluctantly put it on. He hopped on the bike and moved the kickstand, starting the engine and holding his hand out. "Hop on, Princess."

I gave him the most seductive smile, though I doubted he could the sensual undertone. "Anything you say, Cowboy." I lifted myself up on the bike and wrapped my arms around his middle.

"Hold on tight," he smirked. "Don't let go."

"I won't," I smiled back. I wouldn't, I wouldn't let go. No matter what, I would hold onto Scar, even without imprinting or a relationship other than friendship. I knew, as long as I lived, I would never love anyone as much as I loved Oscar Monroe.

**Second AN: Please review! Thank you!**


	9. Graduation Day, Part 2

**Author's Note: I do not own any of the wolves or vampires that might appear in this story. They either belong to Stephenie Meyer or to the lovely Ninadoll! The O'Brien sisters and Liam are really the only thing I might lay claim to. The sextastic Scar is Nina's invention as well. **

**Huge, huge thank you to Ms. Ninadoll! I can't say that enough and encourage all of you to check out her stories, **_**Rest of Forever, How Wonderful Life Is Now You're in the World, **_**and **_**How the Mighty Fall**_**. You will love them! I guarantee it! I am very lucky to be a part of her universe and to have her as my friend!**

**Thank you as well to my friend, shojioxlow! My fellow connoisseur of Sweet Tea Vodka, which I have been in desperate need of lately!**

**As always, thank you to everyone that reads and reviews! You are very much appreciated! Enjoy! Don't forget to check out ****blog at liljenrocks{dot}blogspot{dot}com or my homepage at liljenrocks{dot}web{dot}com for pictures of clothes and such from this chapter!**

**I'm planning to work on the next chapter of **_**Love You For Always **_**next but I have to warn you that school starts in two weeks so I can't promise it will be quickly! Thank you all!**

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**CHAPTER 9: GRADUATION DAY, PART 2**

**AVA'S POV**

It wasn't really very surprising that Scar and I beat everyone else back to the house. The problem was, once we'd arrived at Casa de Clearwater, I didn't want to unwind my arms from around his body. I'd always heard the imprinted couples talk about how their bodies seemed to mold into one another, like they were created specifically for one another. Claire always talked about it, even before she and Quil were "rocking the boat." The thing is, when I held tight to Scar like this, I felt like we matched perfectly. Our bodies seemed to fit perfectly. So it didn't seem fair.

As of late, I'd been trying really hard not to harp on the fact that there was no imprint between us. Instead, I tried to think about ways that we could be together anyway. I knew I could always be his friend, and for now that would work. I tried to think if we could be together romantically but I couldn't. I could see my side of it, loving him forever and raising a family with him, but if I wasn't the _one_, I didn't know why I even bothered.

"You okay?" Scar asked, suavely sliding off the bike and breaking our contact. He took his helmet off before holding his hand out to me. I wasn't too happy that he'd decided to get off. I still wanted to bask in the glow of our bodily contact. I guess we'd have to go in eventually though.

I reluctantly took my helmet off and shook my hair out. "Yeah. I'm just kinda exhausted. It's been a long day," I sighed. I took his hand and quickly swung my leg over the bike, careful not to show Victoria's secret.

"Yeah, I know," he pulled me into his chest to hug me and I smiled. "We should probably go inside though. The other cars just pulled into the driveway." I let out a groan. "Hey, it's nice to have family that cares about you."

"I know, I don't mean to sound ungrateful, I'm just not sure if I'm ready for all the commotion," I whined. And commotion it was. The guest list for our soiree included not only our family but more like our extended family too. Jake and Nessie were there with Griffin, something I knew made Ashley extremely happy. She always liked having Griffin and Liam together, not that there was really much you could do with a sixteen month-old and an eight month-old. Sue and Charlie were there, as was Leah who brought along her boyfriend, Alex. Seth had practically begged Billy Black to come too, knowing he and Charlie could probably tell us some pretty amazing stories. And last, but certainly not least, Mr. Frank Monroe, Scar's Dad.

The cars were piled out of, the presents brought in, all the Aunts and Uncles laughing. GamGam Gallagher was fawning over Liam. Some of the family hadn't been able to make it. Chloe and Pete had to stay in Oklahoma, awaiting the arrival of their own little one, a boy, due any day, meaning that Aunt Shannon and Uncle Joe also stayed. GamGam had been accompanied by Vanessa, though Vanessa kept her phone glued to her hip.

The upside was that Cruella de Vil, also known as Aunt Lydia, wasn't able to make it. I was so hurt by that, note the sarcasm in my voice. She did mail me a card with a fat check of three hundred dollars. I figured I could live with that. I actually hadn't counted on getting any gift from her. She and Abby hadn't spoken in months, ever since Aunt Lydia discovered "Abby's irresponsibility and whorishness," as she said, referring of course to my sweet little nephew. I assumed her boycott on Abby was a boycott on all of us, but apparently not.

The moment we were all in the house, the noise level was almost unbearable, conversations ranging from Seattle to baby names bouncing around. "Honestly, who names their child Banjo?" GamGam asked, in all seriousness furrowing her brow at Abby.

"Chloe and Pete," Abby said simply before returning to the kitchen. I was actually quite proud of Abby. She wasn't a bad cook, she just wasn't known as the family's Paul Deen either. But she took the graduation dinner very serious and she and Aunt Tess did the whole dinner on their own. Abby made the roast beef and mashed potatoes, while Aunt Tess made the appetizers and cake. Abbs even made sure we had sweet tea with the perfect lemon wedges to adorn each glass.

"Wanna glass of tea, Mr. Monroe?" Ashley asked, carrying a cookie sheet that Aunt Tess put a cloth napkin on to use as a serving tray. "It already has sugar in it." I smiled at my little sister, she'd seemed to grow about three inches in the last few months and matured so much. She was very into helping around the house, helping to feed Liam, and making sure Sadie was taking her vitamins. She must have caught me looking at her because she smiled widely before skipping off into the kitchen with her empty tray.

"She told me she's doing more around the house because she knows Abby's going to need help when you leave," Sue Clearwater said, standing next to me and putting an arm around my shoulders. "It always impresses me how much you sisters love each other and want to make life as easy as possible for one another."

"Thanks, Sue," I said, knowing that my parents would love how close we had all become. It was one of the first times I had allowed myself to think about them today. I missed them. I knew they'd be proud but what I wouldn't give to hear them say it, or see the smile on their faces.

"Mom, can Alex and I talk to you for a minute?" Leah asked, a little nervously as Alex wrapped his arm around Leah and pressed a kiss to her temple.

I sighed. "That would be my cue to go see if Abby needs help in the kitchen," I walked off leaving them to whatever awkward conversation they were about to have. I looked around, Seth and Jake seemed to be talking to Scar's dad. GamGam sat with Ashley and the babies while Ash sang a crazy song she made up about wolves in a grocery store. She had left her duties as waitress to Ness.

I stepped into the kitchen as Abby put the last of the sliced roast beef on the serving platter. "Can you grab the potatoes and green beans?" She wiped her hands on her apron.

"Sure," I answered back and then followed her to the kitchen table after I grabbed the side dishes. It seemed like the moment we walked out of the kitchen, the wolves were on their feet and salivating. We took our seats and Scar grabbed my hand so we could sit next to each other. It was all a little too much like a movie as Seth stood up from his chair at the end of the table.

"So," Seth said, clearing his throat.

"Please tell me this isn't the start to a long-winded speech, baby brother," Leah said before taking a sip of her tea.

"Well," Seth cleared his throat again. "I just wanted to say how extremely proud of Ava and Scar I am and how very grateful I am that all of you could join us today to celebrate this momentous occasion. I never thought, when I im—fell in love with Abby, that my life could feel so complete. Ava and Ash made this house a home and I couldn't be happier to say that Scar's like the little brother I never had. So, congratulations, Ava and Scar, and thank you to all of you for being here."

A small round of applause rang out as Seth took his seat and Sue unexpectedly stood. "Since today is a day of celebration, I believe Leah and Alex have some news to share with us as well. Leah?" she sat back down, ceremoniously turning the floor over to Leah.

"Thanks, Mom. Thanks for that," Leah said through gritted teeth. "Um, so…"

Alex stood up, taking Leah's hand in his. "I believe Leah is trying to announce our engagement." He smiled widely and a squeal broke out from around the table, all the women smiling and chattering. Nessie was out of her seat in less than a second and hugged Leah who was finally smiling.

"Congratulations, Leah!" Abby joined Nessie to hug Leah. "Do we have a date?"

"We were thinking maybe the end of November," Leah smiled into a kiss from Alex. My eyes flew down to Seth who was shaking a bit.

"Seth, aren't you going to congratulate your sister?" Sue asked.

"I need a beer," Seth threw down his napkin and stormed into the kitchen.

"Honey, he doesn't mean to be like that," Sue said to Leah who was actually a little teary eyed. "You know he's just worried you'll imprint or that you'll get hurt again." She said this out loud, obviously forgetting that there were people not in the inner-wolf-circle here.

"Leah, angel, let me talk to him. I have a sister, I understand how protective Seth must be feeling right now," Alex gave Leah another kiss on her temple before going to the kitchen.

Liam, obviously sensing the tension in the air, started to cry. "It's okay, baby Liam," Ashley said, trying to feed him a spoonful of mashed potatoes that he wanted nothing to do with.

"Ava, can you go grab a bottle out of the fridge for me?" Abby asked while Liam reached his arms up, wanting to be lifted from his high chair by his mother.

"Sure," I sighed. There was really no telling what I was going to walk in on. I stayed a bit of a distance away but could see Seth. Alex stood in front of him, his arms at his side, looking business-like even when he was about to discuss God-knows what with his fiancée's younger, overprotective brother.

I knew it was rude to eavesdrop, but I'd never seen Seth look so stern. He'd always been happy and smiley, except for when Abby left but that was different. He was sad and depressed then, not like he was at the moment. He looked…pissed.

"Seth," Alex said. I could hear Seth pacing back and forth in the kitchen and I wondered if he was trying really hard not to phase. "I understand your trepidation in this matter. I know you have a very close relationship with your sister and I wish there were something I could say to level the playing field." I heard Alex take a deep breath. "I'm a business man. My entire life I have been molded and shaped into the perfect son so that some day I would take over the company. My life before Leah, it was a façade. I was ready to take over the business. Love was the last thing on my mind. Then something happened. I met Leah and all the things I never knew I wanted became so evident to me. I love your sister, more than I could put into words. I want to build a life with her, have a family. I love her very much, and by some miracle, she loves me too."

I couldn't figure out why Seth was so angry. His sister was older than him and I was pretty sure she could take him down to Chinatown if she wanted. So what was up with the Good Doctor? "I know and I get that," Seth said, very business-like in his own movements now. "Here's the deal, Alex. You're a nice enough guy, from what I know of you, but that means nothing to me. The only thing about you that matters is that my sister loves you, and she may be tough and talk a good game, but she's fragile."

"I know, Seth. Trust me, I know. Leah and I have spent countless hours discussing what happened between her and Sam. I know how he broke her heart," Alex stopped to take a breath and I sighed. _What about Leah and Sam?_ "I won't ever leave her, I will love her and protect her and honor her. I love that she's tough but tender, fair but cutthroat. I love her and I only hope that you can give us your blessing. I know it means so much to Leah. "Seth didn't seem to be budging on the issue though. He just stood and stared at Alex. "My family is much different from yours. One of the things I like best about visiting your home is the warmth and sincerity in everyone. I honestly did not have much of that as a child or a teenager so the concept of family is different for me. Yet I know to my core that Leah will not marry me if she doesn't feel you approve."

Seth closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "If it makes Leah happy, you have my blessing." He let out an ominous chuckle. "Besides, if you hurt her, it won't just be me you have to worry about kicking your ass. You see all those big Native men out there?" he gestured towards the dining room and Alex nodded. "She's just as much their sister as she is mine. You hurt her, you have to deal with the consequences."

"I understand," Alex stuck his hand out and Seth looked at it for a second before shaking it firmly. "You have my word, something that I take very seriously."

"Good," my brother-in-law took a swig of a bottle of beer he had just popped the cap off of and then watched Alex walk away. "Alright, come out here. Don't think I don't know you're there."

"Shit," I muttered to myself coming from around the doorway to where Seth was standing in the kitchen. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to eavesdrop. I came in to get a bottle for Liam and I heard you talking and I didn't want to interrupt and I know I should've left but I couldn't help listening…" I kinda wandered off in my head a little then, not really sure what else there was to say.

"It's okay, Ava. It's your house too. I just don't want you to think I'm a prick or anything for being so stern with Alex," Seth said, taking another long swig of beer.

I shook my head. "I know you're not a prick, Seth. You're being a good brother and looking out for Leah."

Seth sat his beer down. "I'd do the same for you too, Ava. I plan on it actually. One day, you'll come here with some boy who's won your heart, and I'll tell him exactly what I told Alex. You hurt my sister, I hurt you. And I mean it."

I hadn't really let my emotions get the better of me today but all the resolve in the world couldn't stop what happened next. I practically launched myself at Seth with tears in my eyes. "Thank you," I sobbed out, hugging Seth. "I know I've said it before, but you make our family complete, Seth, and I'm so glad Abby found you, or you found Abby or however it works."

"Now, now," Seth chuckled. "Where's the bad ass we all know and love?"

"I know," I pulled away from the hug and wiped my hand under my eyes. "I can't help it though."

I heard the click of Abby's heels on the floor and then heard her stop at the door. "Oh no. What's wrong?" she rushed towards me and Seth shook his head.

"We were just having a moment, a brother-sister thing," Seth gave me a pat on the head. "I'm really proud of you and I know you're going to be a great chef, Ave." He gave me a kiss on the forehead and I noticed Abby fanning herself and holding back her own tears. "Not you too, silly Bee." I watched him walk towards my sister and envelop her in his arms.

"I'm so…" she stopped herself, standing on her tiptoes to place a kiss on Seth's lips.

"I know, Babe, I know," he gave her a gentle kiss back. "I should go make sure Liam's eating and Leah's not spoiling him and Ash too much." He chuckled and then released Abby.

"We'll be right out," Abby said to him. She ran her hands up his arms and sighed. It should've been weird watching them like this, but I actually loved it. I loved seeing someone get their happy ending. Sure, I was pissed it wasn't me, but I was happy for my sister. Watching them be so affectionate might have been a little perverted but I smiled as he ducked down and peppered her face with a few kisses.

"I love you," Seth whispered, nuzzling Abby.

"Love you too," she answered back. They were finally broken apart and Seth sauntered out of the kitchen. Abby smiled at me. "I'm extremely proud of you too, Ava. I have to tell you, when we first moved here, I wasn't sure what would happen. I hoped and prayed that you'd mature and take advantage of a fresh start, but I won't lie that I was worried."

"I'm sorry, Abbs," I said.

She shook her head at me. "No, that's not why I'm saying this, Ava. This is a very happy day, and I only bring it up because I think it's important for you to see how far you've come." Abby walked towards me. "And I have one more gift. You know when I graduated from high school, Mom and Dad got me a pearl necklace, their way to celebrate my growth and maturity." She opened the drawer next to the silverware and pulled out an oval shaped box. "And since they're not here to continue the tradition, I think it's only fair that I do." She pushed the box my way. I wanted to open it but I wanted to savor the feeling more, the feeling of accomplishment but more so, the feeling of love, and feeling like my parents were there, even if they weren't there physically. "I hope you like them."

I finally took the box from the counter and slid the red ribbon that adorned it off. With as much patience as I could muster, I lifted the lid to see the strand of pearls in the box. They were beautiful, not a single word I could think of could describe the precious gems in my hand. "Thank you," I said to Abby, pulling the necklace out while Abby rounded me to fasten it round my neck.

"You're welcome," she said, locking the necklace in place. "I just felt like you should be able to have that part of them." She walked around to look at me. "Suits you perfectly." She sighed and put her hand on her cheek before running her hands down the front of her purple dress to straighten out the slightly wrinkled part. She started to walk out of the kitchen, but I grabbed her hand.

"Abbs, when I said thanks, I didn't just mean for the necklace," I swallowed hard, knowing tears were going to follow. "Thanks for not giving up on me…"

Abby turned to face me and her dainty fingers lifted my chin to look her in the eyes. "I will never give up on you. You are my sister, Ava. I may have been really pissed when we had to leave Oklahoma, but I've always hoped that you would learn from your mistakes and you always have." She pulled me forward and wrapped her arms around me. "Even when we were little, you weren't afraid to take chances, to be adventurous. Dad always said when it would rain, I'd hop around the driveway, being very careful not to get my shoes wet in the puddles. But you would just run right through them, like you knew we all would get wet eventually." She realized me from our hug. "That's one of the things I've always loved most about you. Even though at times it's a pain in the butt, you don't take no for an answer, you don't mind pushing the boundaries, and you aren't afraid to defy logic and fate. And I truly hope you never, ever lose those qualities, whether it is in your baking or in love." She raised her eyebrow and then smiled, making her way out of the kitchen. What did she mean? Defying logic and fate? Surely she couldn't be thinking about what I was thinking about? No, there was no way she could've been telling me that I should actually try to win Scar, regardless of an imprint or not. No, no. She was an imprint, she didn't understand. She…she gave me hope, dammit. And I wasn't sure if hope was good thing, especially when the object of my affections, was going to be living under the same roof as me in less than three months.

"Ugh!" I groaned. Why did things have to be so complicated?

**SCAR'S POV**

The Saturday after graduation, Jake and Nessie threw a huge bonfire on First Beach to celebrate all of the pack and family that had graduated from high school. Bonfires were a blast, most of the time. There was occasional drama. But for the most part, they were fun. I mean, if it weren't for a bonfire, I would've never met my Ava.

The night was slowly winding down, and most of the "adults" were gone, leaving just us younger wolves and our girls. Ava was sitting across from me with Claire who had Quil leaning up against her legs. Those two had been whispering sweet nothings to each other all night and it was getting old.

"You're the best wolf ever," Claire giggled and leaned down to kiss Quil.

"You're the best imprint ever," he said back with that glassy, dreamy look all the wolves get when they see their imprints. I hated that look personally.

"Well, you're the best wolf in the history of wolfdom," Claire kissed Quil a little more passionately this time.

"And no other imprint has nearly been as awesome as you are, Princess," Quil pulled Claire down and around to sit in his lap. This was the part of the night where we saw entirely too much groping and heard too much moaning. Now that Quil and Claire were officially "marked" by each other, no one was safe and nothing was sacred from their public displays of affection.

Back to Ava, though. She was quieter than normal but she smiled at me when I glanced her way. I was trying not to stare at her but she looked too damned beautiful. She was wearing a tight, hot pink shirt that read "Let them eat cake!" in black script, a phrase I happened to know she was going to get tattooed when she graduated from culinary school. Her green eyes flickered in the light of the campfire and my chest was heavy with the weight of the feelings I had for her.

That was all interrupted too abruptly. Maggie Jefferson was a junior at Forks High School, and apart from being Scott's cousin, I wasn't sure why the hell she was even at the bonfire. She, as well as three other skanky girls, showed up to crash the party. I'd spent a lot of time trying to avoid Maggie because I knew her game. She had Daddy issues and the best way for her to deal with them was having sex with any man that would give her the time of day, which is probably why she wouldn't get lost right now. I don't know why the girl wouldn't leave me alone, but she wouldn't. I was trying to keep an eye on Ava but as soon as Maggie started grinding her hips in my face, I lost sight of her.

"God, lay off it, Maggie!" I almost screamed, pushing her to Lil' G.

"What's up, milady?" Lil' G said with absolutely no game at all.

I didn't have time to worry about the perverse thoughts that were sure to be running through Lil' G's head. I knew I'd see them later. Right now, I needed to find my best friend. "Ava!" I yelled, trying to get her attention while she said something to Claire.

"I'm just gonna go. You can stay if you want," I heard her say.

"Nah, I'm tired," Claire giggled. "Ugh, do you see Maggie and Lil' G?" She and Ava turned their eyes back to the bonfire.

"What are you doing here? Why don't you just go back to your little skank?" Ava practically barked at me.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Why are you acting this way?" I asked, stunned. I knew Ava could be possessive and grouchy occasionally, but this bumfuzzled me.

She glared at me intently. "Just leave me alone, Oscar. Go let that trash rub her hands all over you, stupid whore," she muttered.

"Ava," I said softly. I could hear the hurt in her voice and I just wanted to make it better. I didn't want anyone else's hands on me but hers. It was her lips I wanted, her body, her. But I couldn't tell her that. And why would she care anyway? She could have her pick of boys and I was pretty sure I was last on her list. I was her friend, nothing more.

"No, Scar. You deserve better than Maggie, than an easy fuck in the back of her El Camino," Ava was starting to shake a little and I wasn't sure if she was cold or angry. "You deserve better." She was looking away from me and I was glad. If I'd have seen her emerald eyes, I wouldn't have been able to control myself and I know I would've pulled her into me and kissed her like there was no tomorrow. She started to walk away and I gently grabbed her arm.

"Hold your horses," I blurted out. "There's nothing going on between me and Maggie. Don't you think I would've told you if there were? Didn't you notice me pushing her off me?"

Ava shook her head. "I'm sorry. I don't know why it pissed me off so much. I just…I want to protect you. I know how some girls can be. I used to be one of those girls." I pulled her into me to hug her, secretly breathing in her scent.

"You don't have to protect me, Ave. I'm a big boy and I'm tough," my voice was barely a whisper but I knew she could hear me.

"I know you are but there's certain things, things about girls that you don't know. I refuse to let Maggie be the one to show you them either," she said, staying cuddled into me. "I just want…I don't know what I want." She breathed out loudly and I ran my hands up her arms.

"I'm sorry if you thought I was doing something I shouldn't have been," I felt like I might get on my knees and beg for forgiveness in a minute.

"No, I shouldn't have gotten upset. It's not like you're my boyfriend or anything," she said. I don't think she knew how her saying that felt. I literally lost my breath at the realization. I wasn't her boyfriend, I would never be her boyfriend, but God help me, I wanted to be. I wanted to protect her and love her, to watch the sun set and rise with her, to ride across the country on my bike, with her on my back. I wanted her. And for the first time in a long time, I was so pissed I was a wolf, I couldn't take it.

I let go of Ava, feeling my breathing speed up. "I need you to go back to the bonfire with Claire," I said through gritted teeth.

"Why? What's wrong?" Ava's eyes were wide with fear and panic.

"I'm gonna phase and I gotta get out of here," I grunted. Ava grabbed at my hand but I shrugged her off, gritting my teeth with each breath. I pulled my shirt over my head just as Quil grabbed Ava and pulled her away.

"Scar!" I heard her scream after me but I was already in a full sprint before leaping over a log and bursting into a giant mass of silver fur.

_What the hell are you doing here?_ Sebastian asked. _I thought you were celebrating the big graduation._

_I was_, I whined before realizing that I was showing them everything, the whole conversation with Ava, my pissed off feelings at becoming a wolf and not imprinting on her.

_Not that again_, Sebastian groaned.

_Shut it, Sebastian_, Tokala scolded him.

There was a long pause before I felt Quil phase in. I shut my mind almost completely off, hoping he wouldn't see what I had just projected. Unfortunately, I wasn't the only one remembering the memory.

_Tokala, please_, I begged. I knew if Quil heard a word of it, it would end badly. He was protective of Ava, almost like a big brother would be. I knew it was because she was close to Claire and that he was originally part of Jake's rogue pack with Seth, and Seth, well, he'd be pissed. It was too late though.

_Scar,_ Quil growled.

Before I knew it, it was all out in the open again, all of it, the few times my body had been pressed close to hers, the times my lips had fantasized about being pressed passionately against Ava's. It was all there for them to see.

_It's not what you think_, I tried to defend myself but I knew it was a lie.

_You are treading in dangerous water_, _Scar_, Quil's was loud and forceful in my head. _She's not your imprint._

_Like I don't know that_, I growled and waited for Quil to catch up with me. As soon as he did, we rounded each other. _I can't help how I feel, Quil. I love her._

_But you can't. It's not even that you can't, you are not allowed to_, Quil rounded me and pounced, pinning me to the ground before I could even think about reacting. _You need to see something._ Images flooded my head, ones that I'd seen before but there was a new side to them, a deeper side. _Just. Watch._

Leah Clearwater danced through my head as a happy teenaged girl but it wasn't even Leah's point of view. It was someone else, someone that had clearly loved her, as the person wrapped their arms around her and she giggled. "I love you, Sam," Leah said, bringing her lips up.

_I am not Sam_, I groaned, trying to throw Quil off. We'd all heard this story, we all knew how it ended. Sam got Emily and a family, Leah got confusion, phasing, and infertility. Quil wasn't letting me go, though. Instead, I felt a crushing blow to my chest, like someone had punched me. It took me a few seconds to realize it wasn't my pain I was feeling. "Please, Sam. Just tell me what I did wrong? You said you loved me and all of the sudden you don't?" Leah was yelling and crying and the pain I felt in my chest, the utter heartache, was Sam's.

_Do you get it now? Do you understand why you can't be with Ava? _Quil's voice had calmed, but he kept me pinned. _Are you willing to hurt her like that?_

I didn't have an answer. I knew I loved her, I knew that she was it for me, and if I imprinted, I would fight to my last breath to keep Ava. But then I realized it wasn't me Quil was worried about. The pain he showed me was Sam's, but the despair and helplessness was all Leah. Leah was happy now, but it was no secret that for years, she would do anything she could to keep her distance from Sam. He had made her what she had been for so long, Sam had created the bitch, and the worst part about it, was he knew it. He knew it was his fault and there was nothing he could do.

_Think about it, Scar. Do you love her enough to let her find her own happiness? _Tokala inserted his thoughts into the conversation.

I did, I'd tried that. I had convinced myself over and over that she was worth more than I could ever dream of being worth. That was obviously why fate had decided we couldn't be together. She was too good for me, but God help me, I loved her. And I knew no one else could ever love her like I do.

_Just leave me alone. None of you can possibly understand what it's like_, I knew I needed to stop talking because if I didn't, I'd want to curl into a ball and sob myself to sleep. I kicked off my back paws and launched forward, running along the main road until I found the wooded area on Clearwater Drive that I was looking for.

I found the window I wanted, curling up into a ball under it. Before I could even close my eyes though, the window flew open. "Can you phase back so we can talk?" Ava said in a soft voice, dangling a pair of athletic shorts out to me. I gave her a wolfy nod, grabbed the shorts and ran behind a tree to phase. I slipped the shorts on and then came back. She stepped back to let me jump in. As soon as I landed and turned, Ava's arms were around me. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have reacted that way," she whispered. I could feel the wet tears from her cheeks on my bare chest.

"It's okay, Ave," I held her closer to me and stroked her hair, placing a soft kiss to it.

"I just…I don't want to lose you and I know that's selfish because someday I will. You'll meet your imprint and you'll be happy and you won't be able to hang out with me," she sniffed.

I pulled Ava from my chest to look into my eyes, hers red and bloodshot. "Listen to me, Ava O'Brien. No matter who comes into my life, you are my number one girl. You hear me? You're my best friend, my confidant, and no one can ever change that. No one," I inhaled.

"Ditto," Ava smiled. "I love ya, Scar."

"Love you too," I answered back, pulling her into my arms again. What she didn't know, though, was that telling her I love her, meant so much more than she could imagine and so much more than I could probably ever tell her. Why couldn't she be mine? Why couldn't I love her like I knew she should be loved? Why the hell did life have to be so complicated?


	10. The Day We Grew Up

**Author's Note: I do not own any of the wolves or vampires that might appear in this story. They either belong to Stephenie Meyer or to the lovely Ninadoll! The O'Brien sisters and Liam are really the only thing I might lay claim to. The yummeriffic Scar is Nina's invention as well. **

**I say it every time, and I mean it every time, thank you thank you to Ninadoll! She is amazing and when I was stuck on where to go, she helped pick me and set me on the right path. If you haven't already, please check out her stories., **_**Rest of Forever, How Wonderful Life Is Now You're in the World, **_**and **_**How the Mighty Fall**_**. She is an amazing author, beta, and awesome friend!**

**Thank you as well to my friend, shojioxlow, who, like myself is Sooner born and Sooner bred! She also keeps me sane!**

**As always, thank you to everyone that reads and reviews! You are very much appreciated! Enjoy! Don't forget to check out ****my homepage at liljenrocks{dot}web{dot}com for pictures of clothes and the new characters that are introduced in this chapter from this chapter!**

**After this, I'm working on the next chapter of **_**Love You For Always**_** complete with a surprise and all! Thank you!**

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**CHAPTER 10: THE DAY WE GREW UP**

**SCAR'S POV**

Seth and I didn't have a lot of serious conversations, only when major, life-changing events happened, like newborn vampire fights, but when we did, it kinda freaked me out a little. I think it was because I worried every time we had a talk, it might be the talk where he confronted me about my feelings for Ava. I did great hiding them, fuck, I could win an Academy Award for the way I faked my platonic feelings for her. I knew it was coming though, he had a look all day as he helped me set up the room.

"Alright, sir, I wanted to have a little talk with you," Seth took a seat on my bed. I sighed. I should've known this was coming and I wouldn't complain because Seth had done so much for me. "First and foremost, safety." Of course, my mind goes straight to sex, particularly with Ava. In the bed, that Seth's sitting on.

_Out, out, out_, I think, trying to get the damn thought of my mind.

"Are you paying attention?" Seth tapped his foot impatiently and I nodded. "Good. So, safety. You know that my wife and her sisters are very important to me. Please, please, please watch over Ava for me and make sure she doesn't get into any situation she can't handle. It's a big city and I'm trusting you to keep her safe."

I nodded. "You know I will, Seth. She's my best friend, I would never let anything happen to her." I was being completely honest. I left out the part where I was in love with her and if anything happened to her under my watch, I was pretty sure I would die.

"I know, but I just need to make sure you know that's the biggest priority for Ava and Claire," he paused for a second. "And you."

"I understand," I answered.

Seth chuckled. "You know, maybe you'll get lucky, maybe you'll imprint."

I rolled my eyes and groaned. "You know, I don't think I really want to imprint."

"Aw, you wanna play the field?" he nodded his head in understanding. "That's okay. That's kinda what college is for, you know? Sow some wild oats, have some fun, stay up late, wait until December to do the project that was assigned in August."

"Yeah, but I wanna do well, too, not just live it up," I said, making it clear that I was serious.

"I know, but don't be too serious," Seth smiled. "You know, hopefully you won't have to do too much gallivanting before you find your soul mate."

_I already have,_ I thought. It was so not the thing to say to him just as he was about to entrust me with Ava's care. "Yeah," I said, half-heartedly.

Seth took a deep breath. "It's not such a bad thing, imprinting, Scar. You don't have to sound so thrilled about it."

I was getting good at the lying as I sucked in a breath and let another fib escape my lips. "Yeah, no, I am. I'm just, you know, I got a lot on my mind right now. I'm worried about school and a new city, and you know how it goes."

"I know, but let me tell you something, nobody can make your life feel complete like an imprint. Before Abby, I felt like, like I was trapped in a bubble, trying just to make it through the day, no real clue what was going on. I don't think I really got what it meant to be alive, until the imprint," Seth said with a bit of nostalgia in his voice and his eyes far in the distance. He stared off into nothingness with a goofy grin on his face. "You'll see, one day."

"Yeah," I said, grabbing some of my clothes out of a bag and pretending to fold them and hoping that was the end of the imprint conversation.

"There is one more thing I kinda needed to talk to you about," he said and I took a deep breath. I could only imagine what he was going to say next. "I'm a doctor so I'm not going to pretend like you don't know anything about sex, I just want to make sure that you'll be smart about it when the time comes." Seth pulled a bag from behind him and pulled a box out. He handed it to me and I started at it for a moment. _Trojan Magnum XL. Great, condoms._

"Um…" I wasn't entirely sure how to respond to such a gift.

"I'm not advocating wild orgies, Scar, I just know how college is and I want you to be prepared if the situation ever arises," Seth slapped me on the back. "That's kinda my brotherly duty."

"Thanks, I think," I chuckled. It was nice of him to do, no matter how much I knew I wouldn't need them. There wasn't anyone in the world I would be having sex with but Ava and that was never going to happen so I would settle for a life of celibacy. No way could I share that with him though. I remembered the conversation with Quil, how much I would eventually hurt Ava if I chose to pursue anything with her. I obviously never wanted to do that. Not to mention that I knew how Seth would react, he wouldn't be happy at all. If anyone had a better front row seat to the pain Leah felt, it was Seth and he would never, ever let me get close to doing that.

"Like I said, use them wisely, and don't go around just sleeping with any woman that gives you the time of day. Be respectful and know your limits, as a wolf, that is," he said. When he said that, I couldn't help the curiosity that sprang up.

"How so? Limits, as a wolf?" I asked.

He knew he had intrigued me by his chuckle. "Well, as a wolf, there're two types of sex. Non-imprint sex and imprint sex. Non-imprint sex is good, don't get me wrong. But imprint sex…there's not words to describe it. I guess I'm telling you that it's okay, if you really like someone to take that step, but you have to know, even though you sleep with someone, when it comes to your imprint, it doesn't matter how good the sex was with the non-imprint. I can guarantee that nothing compares to imprint sex." I was confused but didn't say anything else. I knew, imprint or not, Ava was who my body belonged to. She was the only one I knew I'd have to watch my control with. It wasn't going to be easy being so close and knowing nothing was going to happen. But at least I could guarantee her safety. Because I would do anything for her. Give up everything I have, my wolf, my life, just to make her happy.

_Fuck! Seth is going to kill me…_

**AVA'S POV**

I love the feeling of riding on Scar's bike, but knowing we were driving back to La Push, I insisted on driving. Not that the thought of being strapped to Scar's back didn't really turn me on, it was just a little too chilly to spend more than three hours in the open air.

"Do you need me to carry anything else out to the car?" Scar chuckled. We had packed the back of my Volkswagen as full as I think it could possibly be with presents, wrapped in baseball wrapping paper for Liam's first birthday party.

"Don't be a sour sport," I said, sticking my tongue out at him and slamming the trunk closed. "Liam's my only nephew. I have to spoil him, it's like the law."

"And you're sure Abby's going to be okay with us just showing up?" he asked.

I scoffed at him. "Of course." _What a silly question._ I'd kind of lied to my big sister a little and told Abby we weren't going to be able to come to the party. Both Scar and I did have tests to study for but how could I miss this? I don't' think I'd heard her cry that much since she found out she was pregnant with Liam and left to go to Oklahoma. I felt bad for lying, but I wanted to surprise them and I knew any other way, she'd expect it.

I climbed into the driver's seat of the car while Scar opened the passenger door and stood. "She's coming, right?" he asked, looking back at the entrance.

"Are you kidding? She gets to see Quil, I'm pretty sure she's coming," I answered just as Claire flung the door open, her overnight bag in one hand and her phone in the other. She shut the gate behind her, turning to lock it and then smiling as she walked towards the car.

"I'm so excited!" Claire yelped out with a little more of a bounce in her step.

Scar chuckled. "She's like a kid, I swear."

"Oh hush you! I'm excited to see Quilly and to surprise Abby and Seth! And it's my nephew's birthday too!" Claire said, throwing her bag at Scar.

"He's _my_ nephew and your _cousin_," I clarified as she punched my shoulder.

"I say he's my nephew, so he's my nephew. You can share," she giggled. I just shook my head and waited for her to crawl in the backseat. The three of us "big city" kids made great traveling companions. We weren't picky about the music we wanted to listen too, no one had a teeny tiny bladder, and we were all happy for our Starbucks stop. We played license plate bingo and I Spy and before I knew it, I was pulling onto Clearwater Drive, the cabin in sight.

The driveway was lined with cars, some familiar, some not. The Black's Hummer was there and Aunt Tess's and Uncle Rob's red pickup, along with Leah's BMW convertible. It was a comforting sight and I couldn't help but feel the goosebumps begin, feeling good to be home again.

"Hey, Ava, Scar! I thought you guys weren't going to be able to make it," Jake said, giving Scar a very manly hug before lifting me a little off the ground to hug me.

"I couldn't miss my nephew's first birthday party," I said as Jake put me down. "I wanted to surprise Abby."

"Well, I'm pretty sure you will succeed at that. Seth said she's forbidden anyone from saying your name for today," AJ joked. "I think they'll all be happy to see you guys. Nice jersey, by the way." He pointed at my OU baseball jersey, just as I ran through the front door.

Liam was sitting on the floor of the living room, his back turned to me and his little tufts of black hair sticking out of his baseball cap. A few of the other kids were sitting around Ashley, who was telling them all a story. Griffin, Keegan, Liam and Hawke sat in row next to each other, like their own little private club. Somehow, I had managed to sneak in without anyone seeing me and I tiptoed behind Liam and scooped him up, swinging him.

"Aaaa!" he squealed.

Ashley hopped up from her seat. "Ava! You're home!" She wrapped her arms around my legs as Liam grabbed hold of my neck in a tight hug.

"I missed you too, sweet boy," I said, holding him tight and inhaling his powdery scent.

"What's all the r—"Abby stopped in her tracks and looked at me. "Ava?" she yelped, putting down the tray of lemonade and rushing to me, hugging me and Liam and Ashley, all together in a hug. "I'm so glad you came," she let out a little sob.

I chuckled. "Geez, you'd think you hadn't seen me in ages."

"It's not that, I just didn't think you were going to be able to come," Abby pulled away and wiped a few tears from her cheeks. Liam loosened his grip on my neck and gave me a slobbery "kiss" on my cheek. "See, even Liam knows something was different. You wanna show Auntie Ava what you can do?"

I cocked an eyebrow as Abby took Liam from my arms and stood him up. He wrapped his hands around her fingers and his feet lifted off the ground one at a time in tiny steps until he reached me and then, as Abby released his hands, Liam stood in front of me, clapping his little hands.

"Look at you, birthday boy!" I leaned down and picked him back up as he threw his arms around my neck again. I had to bite my lip, I could feel it quivering. I was missing out on him, on my family.

"He can't quite do it on his own yet but he's getting there. I think he's jealous of Griffin and Keegan since they can already walk," Abby smiled and patted Liam's back. "We missed you," she almost whispered. "But enough of that. This is a birthday party, no more tears."

She put her thumbs under my eyes and wiped the tears I hadn't realized I'd cried. "Sca!" Liam squealed and reached his arms behind me. "Sca!"

"Scar!" Griffin jumped up from his seat and ran to Scar, who instantly scooped him up in his arms.

"Hey buddy," Scar grinned, flipping him upside down to put his feet on the floor. "You been good?"

"Uh-huh," Griffin nodded. "I gonna be big bradder."

Scar chuckled. "Really?" he ruffled his hair. Liam was getting anxious in my arms and reached forward.

"Sca! Sca!" Liam said. I passed Liam to a waiting Scar who instantly hugged him.

"Nessie is pregnant? Why didn't I know this?" I asked, the pain of being out of the loop, away from home sinking in again.

"They were keeping it low key," she kept her smile.

"Does this mean we'll be expecting a new little Clearwater anytime soon?" I asked.

"Uh, no. I'm sure if you ask Seth, we should start trying tomorrow but I want Liam to be able to be a baby a little longer," she answered and kept her eyes on Liam. Her attention turned back to me. "Thank you so much for coming, I…"

"I know," I said, taking her hand and squeezing it. I knew she was glad I was here, I was glad I was here. Hell, the one-year old toddler in Scar's arm was glad I was here. "You need any help in the kitchen?"

"But of course," Abby giggled, pulling me into the kitchen with her. I could hear Nessie and Rachel talking, Shanna, Emily, and Leah too. "Look who I found," Abby grinned, presenting me to the other ladies.

"Ava! You're here!" Nessie hopped up from the kitchen table.

"I hear congratulations are in order," I said as she hugged me and released me. "You look great." She really did, perfectly dressed in a purple maternity top that just barely showed a small bump in her abdomen.

"We're glad you made it," Rachel said from the table. They all looked happy, a part of something I would never get to belong to. Being imprints or the she-wolf, nothing I would ever be.

"Where's Seth?" I asked. The ladies were all sitting around the table, putting popcorn into bags for the kids and there didn't seem to be a single Y-chromosome in the kitchen area.

"He and Alex and Charlie are in the back grilling the hot dogs," Leah answered with a dreamy look on her face. I felt like of all the people I knew, Leah and I were the most alike. Not to brag, but I did like to think I was a bit of a bad ass and if that were so, my bad assness could only be trumped by the one and only Leah Clearwater. Seeing her with a dreamy look on her face kind of depressed me a little. She had fallen in love, with a guy she didn't imprint on, and no one even really said anything about it. But Scar and I would never be because fate hadn't chosen me for him. It seemed so unfair. "You should go say hi. Anytime you guys come over to the house, Alex is always working or dealing with his mother. He's always saying how he wants to get to know my family more. You should go out and chat with them."

There was something in me that lit up at knowing I was part of Leah's family. Even though we held no blood relation, I was glad she considered me to be part of that special circle. I nodded to her as Remy came running into the kitchen, out of breath. "Momma, I told Daddy I want a baby like Griffin and he told me I had to come talk to you. Can we get a baby too so I can be a big brother?" I chuckled and knew that was definitely my cue to leave.

I opened the back door and caught sight of Seth and the guys right away. They'd been joined by Jake and Quil, who had Claire sitting in his lap like he hadn't seen her two days ago. "I don't know. If it were me, I'd put my money on the Sooners," Seth said.

"Nah, you only say that because of Abby," Charlie shook his head. "My money's on the Ducks."

"Yeah, right, Charlie. When's the last time Oregon won a National Championship?" Seth rebutted and I laughed, knowing that Seth probably couldn't even spell Oklahoma before he met us. "Well, well, well. If it isn't my mangy old sister-in-law," Seth grinned catching sight of me.

"Who you calling mangy?" I asked with my hands on my hips.

"Well don't just stand there, come give me a hug. The house has been too damn quiet without you," Seth put the tongs down and I almost skipped into his arms. "This is a great surprise! I hope you brought stuff to stay the night, cuz you know Abby's not going to let you leave."

"Yes, sir, I did."

"How are your classes, Ava?" Alex asked, sipping a bottle of water.

I shrugged. "Right now everything is real general, how to separate an egg, fold whipping cream, that sort of thing."

"Ah, man. Does that mean no awesome feast for dinner?" Paul joked.

"Hey, I'm taking care of you. Hot dogs, popcorn, peanuts, what else could you ask for?" Seth said back, pointing to the grill. I took in the guys sitting around and it made me smile. Never in my life did I think I would be comfortable, hanging around a group of huge men, talking about football and food. But I was, this was what home felt like. If anyone outside of the pack saw this scene, they'd probably wonder what the hell a crazy white girl was doing surrounded by all these gorgeous, muscled Native men. This was home. "There's the birthday boy!"

Scar walked towards us with Liam in his arms and Griffin and Keegan close behind him. "Dada!" Liam squealed then hugged Scar again. "Sca!"

"Did you find Scar, little guy?" Seth put his stuff down again and walked over to Liam and Scar. Seth patted Scar's back with a grin. "I think he missed you."

"I think so," Scar said back. I'd never really noticed how close Liam and Scar were, but it made sense. Liam had known Scar as long as he'd known me. He had always been at the house, he'd been with us in Oklahoma right after he was born, and I guess our close relationship in turn made the two of them close.

My thoughts were interrupted as Abby called to Seth to bring in the food. It was amusing watching the guys carry in the numerous trays of meat and all of them eyeing it like they hadn't eaten in days. As per the usual arrangement, women and children went first, as well as the elderly people. Then, after everyone else sat down, the wolves were released to fix their plates and it was literally like a stampede. Plates piled high with hot dogs. Even the retired wolves could eat more than a small army.

"No!" Liam yelled at Abby who furrowed her brow.

"No, sir," she said seriously. It took me a minute to see what was going on but it looked like Abby was trying to take Liam from Scar and birthday boy was having none of it, his arms still tight around Scar.

"It's okay, Abbs. I'll put him in his chair and sit next to him. It's no big deal," Scar said and even I could hear Liam giggle knowing he'd won.

"Okay, but you, young man, need to listen to Mommy and Daddy," Abby said seriously.

It really was amazing to watch Scar with Liam, like the little brother he'd never had. Scar helped him eat his hot dog, then he and Ashley helped him blow out the candles on his birthday cake, which Liam managed to smear all of his face. And then when it came to presents, Liam loved his gift from Scar, a Mariner's jersey and baseball cap, perfect for his toddler head. I had to admit I was a little jealous. I hadn't thought of anything near that creative to go with the theme. I bought a baseball picture frame and a Little Tykes toy that he could push around to help him walk. He liked them but he seemed to hold on tighter to Scar's gift.

Finally, at the end of the night, it was Scar's arms he fell asleep in. All of the little wolf pack kids seemed to congregate around him, more so than any of the other young wolves. Not to mention, Ashley who hung on Scar's every word. And that moment cemented itself in my mind, Liam was fast asleep in his arms as Scar stared down at him. It made me swallow hard. I hadn't thought much of Scar as a father, but seeing him now did things to me I didn't know were possible. And while the sight made my heart skip, it also broke a little. One day, Scar would have lots of beautiful wolf babies that he would love and care for and spoil. But I wouldn't be the mother…I wouldn't be the wife that he doted on…I wouldn't share a bed with him or a home or anything. I was lucky I had what I had now.

Just when I thought I might lose the tears held behind my eyes, a hand on my shoulder broke me out of my sad stupor. "Wanna play?" Claire asked, handing me the extra Wii controller. Most of the guests had left when the birthday boy passed out but Claire and Quil stayed behind. Ashley had hopped upstairs to bed while Seth and Abby cleaned up. "You know I'm gonna kick your ass."

"Bring it," I said taking the controller. "Tennis?"

"Hell yeah," Claire said with a wicked smile. "Quit staring at Mr. Wall-of-muscle and play me."

I blushed, knowing I'd gotten caught. "I'm not staring, just observing."

"Uh-huh, whatever helps you sleep at night, sweetie. I just gotta say I wouldn't blame you if deflowered that virgin," Claire clicked on the Wii controller to finish setting up the game.

"It's not like that, Claire," I said, trying to speak as softly as I could.

"It's not like it would be a bad thing if it were like that," she responded.

"Yes it would. I'm not his imprint," I took my first serve on the Wii.

"You think I only love Quil because of the imprint? Sure that's what made him stick around for so long but I like to think he actually loves me for me and not some fucked up gaze. I know that's why I love him, because he's the best man I've ever known. Because I can see our children in his eyes, my future doesn't exist without him. When you look at Do-Do bird over there, can you see that?" Claire skillfully slammed the ball over the net.

I didn't answer her. I didn't think I could. I would never mention how I felt about him to anyone, it hurt too much to know it could never happen. And it would hurt even more if I was dumb enough to believe it could, only to have my heart broken into a million pieces.

"Just something to think about, Ava," she said again before thoroughly beating my ass at tennis. I didn't tell her that I couldn't see my future with anyone else but him. But that night, when I went to bed, for the first time, I cried myself to sleep, thinking of the future I'd never have.

**SCAR'S POV**

"Scar, I love you," Ava moaned as I settled between her legs. "I need you."

I leaned down and gently touched her lips with mine. "You are the most beautiful woman I've ever known, and I've never wanted anyone like I want you," I whispered, running my nose along her bare collarbone. "I love you." I pushed my body into her and she arched her back to meet my force.

"Scar!" she groaned and I pushed in harder. "Scar!" I could feel her hands on my shoulders. "Scar!"

"Ava," I felt my body getting closer to letting go.

"Wake up! You're going to be late for class," my beauty's voice said. _What?_ "You have to get up now, you're going to be late."

My eyes fluttered open and it hit me that it was all a dream, every touch and kiss wasn't even real. Unfortunately, the tent pitched in my pants was. "Um, yeah, I'm up," my scratchy voice said. I couldn't get out of bed until she left, there was no way I was going to let her see me about to blow like that. Not yet.

As it turned out though, I ended up making it to class just in time, thanks to Ava's wake up call. I went through all the motions of the day, finishing up just before noon and walking through the Student Union to get back to my bike. Even though school had been in session for a few months, everywhere you looked there were signs, "Welcome Freshman!" Today, I had forgotten, was the student organizations' fair, in case you hadn't gotten to sign up earlier in the semester. I knew my life was going to be complicated enough, so I didn't feel bad just waltzing past them all and leaving.

I walked a few steps, wishing I had my iPod but I was just happy to be finished for the day.

"Hey! Hey you!" a voice said from behind me. I turned and looked to see a pretty tan girl jobbing after me and stopping just as she caught up to me. "Hi, I'm Anita. Are you Native American?"

"Uh, yeah," I answered, giving her a very confused look.

She put her hand on her chest and tried to catch her breath. "Oh, good. I would've hated it if I chased you down and you were, well, not," she kept breathing hard. "Sorry, you just, you walk really fast. I'm Anita, again, by the way. Anita Renoir, I'm Couer d'Alene."

"Okay," I had no idea what this chick wanted or where she was going with this.

"I'm the president of the Native American Students Association," she said, this time finally making a little sense. "We're recruiting members and I saw you walk by and I thought for sure you were Native."

"Yeah, I'm half-Quileute but my mom was white," I explained.

"Come back to our booth, let me give you some information. We'd love to have you join us," Anita said, finally standing up and no longer short of breath.

"I don't know," I said uncertainly.

"Come on, you're a freshman, right?" she asked and I nodded. "You probably don't know a lot of people here on campus, and even more likely, you don't know many natives on campus. Just come back to the booth. I'll give you a run through of some of us our stuff and then you can decide."

_What did I have to lose?_ So I agreed and walked with her back to the student union where another very large Native American boy stood, his hair in two braids, his arms crossed across his chest in a very unwelcoming manner.

"Would you relax, Sarge? You're gonna scare off all the potential members," Anita said sternly. "This is my boyfriend, Sarge. He's Potawatomi."

"From Kansas," Sarge said, looking me over. "And you are?"

I put my hand out, trying to remember all the manners I'd learned, "Oscar Monroe, Quileute, from Washington."

Sarge took my hand in his. "Nice to meet you. It's a good thing Anita tracked you down, I can tell you're going to be a force to be reckoned with."

Completely unsure of what that meant, I looked back to Anita who had pulled out a few pamphlets. "Basically, we have meetings every two weeks, we try to stay socially active, which means finding out about the things going on in the Native American community. We volunteer on reservations occasionally, have seminars on problems plaguing reservations, that kind of thing."

"In a nutshell, we have fun, but we work to make sure our people are taken care of," Sarge said. "You know the problems we have on the rezs. Alcoholism, gambling, poverty, unemployment. We try to curtail some of that or at least bring it to everyone else's attention."

"We do have fun. In fact, our first social gathering of the year is at my house, it's just a get to know kind of mixer. If you're still not sure about joining us, come to the party and you can decide," Anita said with a smile.

"I don't know," my mind immediately went to Ava. "I have a friend—"

"Bring them," Anita cut me off before I could say anything.

"She's not Native," I said back.

"Doesn't matter, bring her anyway. I can tell, just by your eyes, you want to do this," she said confidently and I sorta wished I had a mirror so I could see what exactly in my eyes showed her that. "It's just a party, you'll get to meet some new people. And if you hate it, you never have to show your face again."

"Fine, when and where?" I gave in.

"5647 12th Street, Friday night, at eight. My house is really tiny and orange. You can't miss it," Anita said, handing me a piece of paper with a hand drawn map. "And bring your friend, I promise you'll have fun."

"Okay," I nodded, taking the paper, folding it neatly and putting it in my back pack.

"It was nice to meet you, Oscar," she said, with a bright smile.

"My friends call me Scar," I said back.

"Nice meeting you, Scar," she said. Sarge put his arm around her protectively and I had to control my chuckle. Anita was beautiful, but she just wasn't Ava, and Ava was the only person I was interested in.

I made my way towards my bike, finally heading home to see Ava's car already in her parking spot in the garage. That usually meant she was making dinner, which was great because I was more than famished. I parked my bike, then headed towards the condo. I could hear her singing before I even opened the door.

"Like a virgin, ooh! Touched for the very first time," she sang out and I didn't feel the need to announce my arrival, watching her dance in her short shorts and tank top while she stirred a pot in the kitchen. The sight alone made my pants tighten and her gyrating hips didn't help the situation. "You made me feel, yeah you made me feel…Fuck!" Ava turned to find me watching her. "Dude, you're like a ninja! I had no idea you were there. How long were you watching me?"

"Not long," I lied. "I just walked in. What's gotten you in a happy mood?"

She giggled at me, "I got an A on my test today. You are looking at the Queen of Scrambled Eggs." I raised an eyebrow and bowed a little. "Mock me if you want, but I'll have you know, no one else made an A, hell, half the class didn't even pass. All thanks to my special ingredient." She smiled, obviously quite happy with herself.

"Which is?" I asked.

"Louisiana Hot Sauce, don't tell though or I might have to take you down," she playfully edged towards me, swatting. She lost her balance though and just as she was about to head face-first into the floor, my arms caught her and we both tumbled onto the floor. He head was lying on my chest and neither of us moved. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "That's what I get for bragging."

I couldn't help myself, as I moved a stray curl from around her face. "You deserve to brag," I said back.

Ava smiled at me gently. "It's a good thing I have you to catch me when I fall."

Without missing a beat, I said the first thing that popped into my mind. "Always."

Her cheeks blushed before she frowned. Something had happened because she was suddenly a little sad. "Maybe," she whispered. I knew she didn't intend for me to hear and it hurt, wondering what the hell she meant by that.

"Hey, how would you like to be an honorary member of the Seattle University Native American Students' Association?" I asked, hearing her chuckle. "Okay, well, maybe just accompany me to a party for members of said organization."

"When is it?" she asked, returning to her pot on the stove.

"Friday, it'll be fun," I teased. "And they'll be people from other tribes there. You never know, you just might find out the Cherokees shapeshift into bears."

This time Ava let out a loud laugh. "Not likely. I'm from Oklahoma, remember? I grew up around the Cherokees and not a single one poofed into a bear."

"Yeah, well, not a single Quileute poofed into a wolf that I'd ever seen, until I did," I joked.

"Touche," she laughed.

"Come, please?" I pouted and watched her big green eyes fighting not to give in. "Pretty please with mascarpone cheese on top?"

She giggled. "A man after my own heart!" _If she only knew…_ "Okay, I'll go."

"Great!" I cheered.

In the back of my mind, I knew it wasn't a date. But I couldn't help but celebrate the small victory of knowing we'd spend all evening with her on my arms and in my heart.

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**Second AN: So, reviews have been down and that makes me think I'm not doing something right. I don't want to be one of those writers that says "I'm not posting another chapter until I get 20 reviews," but to be honest with you all, I need reviews. I need them to know that I'm doing something right and that the story is still important to you guys, like it is to me. So please, I implore you, REVIEW!**


	11. The Day the Rain Fell

**Author's Note: I do not own any of the wolves or vampires that might appear in this story. They either belong to Stephenie Meyer or to the lovely Ninadoll! The O'Brien sisters and Liam are really the only thing I might lay claim to. The sextastic Scar is Nina's invention as well. **

**I am so, so thankful for Ninadoll! She is absolutely amazing and this story wouldn't exist without her. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Please check out her stories, **_**Rest of Forever, How Wonderful Life Is Now You're in the World, **_**and **_**How the Mighty Fall**_**. She is an amazing author, beta, and awesome friend and every chapter, she helps make me a better writer!**

**Thank you as well to my friend, shojioxlow! I can't thank her enough for her support and friendship! **

**As always, thank you to everyone that reads and reviews! You are very much appreciated! Enjoy! Don't forget to check out ****my homepage at liljenrocks{dot}web{dot}com for pictures of clothes and the new characters that are introduced in this chapter from this chapter!**

**I know I said that I'd be working on the next chapter of Love You for Always first but this one is more important at the moment. I hope you guys like this chapter and thank you so much for everyone who reviewed the last chapter! Please don't stop reviewing for me! **

**This chapter is inspired by a song. The name of the song is "Like the Rain" by an Oklahoma artist named Camille Harp. You can find her stuff on iTunes! She is awesome and the song is perfect for this chapter! Thank you to shojioxlow for introducing me to her!**

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**CHAPTER 11: THE DAY THE RAIN FELL**

**SCAR'S POV**

I really had to talk to my brain about these dreams. For the last few weeks, every single dream I had involved Ava and me in a dangerous position, i.e. me on top of her, between her legs, her on top of me, moaning and grinding. It wasn't a pretty sight for my bed sheets. I got up slowly before I opened my bedroom door and sprinted to the bathroom only to find it occupied. "I love doing it in the shower," Claire squealed. "Hmmm…" If there were such thing as having too much sex, I truly believed that Quil and Claire had too much. It was constant, if they weren't having sex, they were making out, or talking about their future. I had it on good accord that Quil was going to pop the question around Christmas, when she would be moving back to Forks to start her own dog grooming business.

Quil spent more time at the condo than Ava and I did, honestly. He would work in Forks, then run down to spend the night with his Claire-bear. The funny thing about them too wasn't just the constant sex, it was how sickeningly sweet they were to one another, always with the "Boo" and "Princess" and "bestest." It was ridiculous.

I kept my trap shut when it came to that whole situation though because Quil was harboring one of my biggest secrets and didn't need anyone to know, particularly one very big brother-in-law that I was certain would string me up by my balls. So I kept it quiet and grinned and beared when the two of them were near each other.

"Wow, someone slept really well," Quil chuckled, opening the door with a towel tied around his waist.

"Shut your mouth, cradle robber," I groaned.

"'Least I'm getting some," he retorted.

"Yeah, I'm sure Claire would love to hear you describe it like that," I shot back.

"Probably as much as Seth would love to hear you have thoughts about boning his sister-in-law, not to mention his extremely hormonal pregnant wife," Quil's eyes narrowed and I didn't even notice the growl that escaped my lips or the shaking in my bones, no did I notice that Quil's defenses were as guarded as mine.

"Stop it," Claire stood in the doorway with her hands on her hips, a silk robe on, and a very serious look on her face. "That's enough from both of you. You," she pointed at me, "need to get over yourself and stop stalling. Why the hell won't you ask Ava out?"

I furrowed my brow. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Claire," I tried to play it off like I always did.

"Don't fuck with me, Oscar Monroe," Claire said. "I'm not Ava, I won't fall for your bullshit. If you think I don't know you love her, then you're a dumbass, dumbass."

I panicked right away and put my finger over my mouth. "Shh!" I looked around looking for Ava. "What if she heard you?"

"So you're not denying it?" Claire asked. She was too good. I, on the other hand, chose to neither confirm nor deny her accusation. I wasn't going to spill my guts to her other best friend.

"You know what? I don't have time for this, I'm gonna be late for class," I folded my arms across my chest, hoping that would be enough to convince her to let me go.

"And your boxers are tighter than usual because…" she made a gesture with her hand.

Just as I was about to answer, Ava's bedroom door opened and she almost skipped out to the hallway where we stood. She was dressed in her skinny jeans with her button up chef's jacket on. I don't know what it was that was sexy about that damn jacket but it did things for me. Things that resulted in the present situation below my waist. "I'm really excited about the party tonight," Ava said, smiling at me.

I couldn't help but smile back. "Me too. I hope it's not gonna be boring."

"Hey, all I need is you and I'll have a good time," she said. She just had to do that, didn't she? Plant that little seed of hope in my brain that drove me crazy and made me spend all day planning our future together when I was supposed to be concentrating on Sir Isaac Newton and his many laws.

"Yeah, me too," I said while trying to be sly and running my fingers through my hair.

"Don't worry about us. We'll be out of your hair soon enough. Class ends at noon and then Quilly and I are headed home for the weekend," Claire said.

Quil grinned at his imprint and pulled her tighter into his side. "I'm meeting with Paul and a couple of the other guys at Shipo this afternoon then picking up my Claire-bear and going to La Push." He leaned down and kissed Claire gently on the nose, then the cheeks, then the lips.

"That's my cue to get the hell out of here," Ava said with wide eyes. "See you this evening," she said, giving me a little of a hug before leaving.

"You two make me sick," I groaned and turned my attention back to Quil and Claire.

"Whatever, Lover Boy. Listen, I expect you to behave because if you break her heart, I break your spine and if I can't do it, I have a bunch of wolves as relatives who hate to see me upset, capice?" Claire was trying very hard to look intimidating but it was hard to take someone dressed in all pink from head to toe seriously, but I did agree with her.

"I understand," I nodded.

"Good," she squealed, hopping into Quil's arm as he carried her back to her bedroom.

As far as I was concerned though, this party couldn't get here soon enough. I tried to be patient during the day, but knowing that I was going to have the entire evening with Ava made it really hard. I got dressed that morning, went to class, spent the afternoon working at Shipo with Embry, and tried very hard to contain my excitement.

Ava looked perfect too, her dress just short enough to keep her warm but just enough to turn me on faster than I thought possible. We took Ava's car to the party, though I had to admit I always thought I looked a little goofy with my well over six foot frame stepping in and out of a Volkswagen Bug.

The tiny orange house was packed full of more Native Americans than I'd even seen at a house party in La Push. "Hey! You made it!" Anita yelled and ran towards me.

"Yeah, looks pretty jumping," I said, motioning to the crowd of people.

"Yeah, I told you, we have a lot of fun," she smiled. I felt Ava come up behind me and quickly grab my hand. "And who is this?"

"This is Ava O'Brien," I beamed as Ava put her hand out to shake Anita's.

"Good to meet you, Ava," Anita said, taking it.

"You too. I hope it's okay that I'm here. I'm not a student at SU and I'm not Native American," Ava said nervously, totally unlike her.

Anita nodded. "Of course it is! I'm glad you came," Anita grabbed Ava and pulled her towards her. "I'm gonna go show Ava around. Sarge is in the kitchen. You should definitely go talk to him." Anita giggled and Ava glanced back with a slightly panicked look before they were out of my sight.

"Hey, you. You new here?" a tall, long haired, long legged girl said. "I'm Katrina."

"Scar," I said flatly.

"You need some company?" she asked with a smile.

"Um, no thanks," I answered, trying not to hurt her feeling but knowing, as pretty as she was, she didn't hold a candle to Ava.

"Fine, be that way, jerk!" Katrina stomped her foot and marched off. "Asshole!"

I heard a chuckle. "Ignore her. She's been in a pissy mood ever since the Jonas Brothers broke up," a guy with shortly cropped hair and thick glasses said. "I'm Hiawatha. Please don't make fun of my name."

"It's interesting. My name's Scar if it makes you feel any better," I put my hand out for him to shake and he took it with a strong grip.

"I'm pre-law," Hiawatha said.

"Engineering," I answered back.

"Interesting. Was that your girlfriend you came in with?" he asked.

"No, my best friend Ava," I didn't like him asking about her like he did, with a little bit of something in his voice that shouldn't be there.

"You seem really at ease with one another, the way she was holding your hand like that," Hiawatha led the way into the crowded living room. "I would've put money on a bet that you two were together."

"Nope, just friends," I said looking around.

"Fresh meat," a deep feminine voice said.

"Stay away, Lenora. He's taken," Hiawatha said before winking at me. The girl groaned then walked off. "It's easier if you just stop them before they have a chance to really start the flirting."

"Gotcha," I chuckled.

I was having a great time at the party and I had to give it to Anita. She really did know that I would fit in here and this was a great place for me make friends. I hung out with Hiawatha for the most part and he introduced me to a few other people. I even met someone from the Makah reservation. Every now and then, I'd slide a sideway glance at Ava, and she seemed to be enjoying herself too, talking with Anita throughout most of the night and at one point, I glanced over to see them in a deep conversation.

"Women are funny, huh?" Sarge chuckled, handing me a Coke. I chuckled back and nodded. "Seems Anita's taken a liking to your girl."

I shook my head vigourously. "She's not my girl. She's just my friend," I clarified.

Sarge gave me a questioning look. "Really? She's not your girlfriend?"

"Well, in the sense that she's a girl and my friend but that's about it," I said, taking a swig from the can of Coke in my hand.

"Huh," he huffed. "I could've sworn you two were a couple. The way you look at one another is about the most intense thing I've ever seen in my life."

Now it was my turn to give the questioning look. I knew that in my heart I knew Ava and I belonged together, but I'd never heard anyone say it out loud like that. Even Claire's rant this morning was nothing to a complete stranger seeing us and knowing we belonged together. So why then were we still not a couple?

"We kinda couldn't be a couple. Even if we wanted to be," I responded.

Sarge looked puzzled and gave me a look. "Why not?"

I couldn't very well tell him, "Because I have this genetic condition where I get really pissed off and turn in to a wolf," so instead I went for the other route. "I'm Quileuete, she's not."

"And that would stop you?" he asked.

"It would. Don't rock the boat and you won't get sea sick," I took another swig of the cola. There was no way anyone outside of the pack could possibly understand the situation I was in.

"Oh, yeah. I know more about that than you may think," Sarge said, hopping up on the counter and swinging his legs. "Yeah, so, um, Anita's not really my girlfriend." I looked at him confused. "She's my wife." I shook my head in pure shock and stared at him with my mouth wide open. "Her parents don't really approve of me because we're not from the same tribe. So they threatened to do just about everything they could to keep us apart. We kinda ran off and got married."

"What?" I asked.

"Yeah, I don't know, I guess we both figure a piece of paper like a marriage license makes it harder for them to tear us apart," he said with a grin. "Maybe you should consider that."

This time I chuckled. "Her brother-in-law would kill me."

"It'd be an honorable death," Sarge chuckled, hopping off the counter and slapping me on the back before walking off. _It would be an honorable death, for sure. _

I turned my eyes back to Ava, who was no longer talking to Anita but had some guy in front of her. He was tall, Native with long hair like I used to have before I wolfed out. I knew it shouldn't bother me since she was off limits but dammit seeing her so close to another guy like that made me sick. And then, she giggled and grabbed at his arm, clearly a move I knew was for flirting. _Hell no! HELL NO!_ "You're so funny!" I heard her squeal from my position by the counter.

I took large strides to get to them, seeing Ava's face soften as I approached. "Hey Scar, meet my new friend, Brock," she said, smiling at the asshole standing in front of her.

"How's it going, man?" the douche named Brock said, putting his hand out for me to shake.

"Yeah, not really gonna happen," I pushed his hand away. "You ready to go?" I knew I was being unreasonable but it was pissing me off the way he acted towards her.

"Um, sure," she looked around then focused on me again. "Nice to meet you, Brock. Hopefully I'll see you around."

"I'd like that," the dick said.

"Let's go, Ave," I growled, pulling her a little towards the door.

"Bye Brock! Bye Anita! Bye Sar—" I cut her off and pulled her to the car. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

I turned quickly to her and glared. "Don't get me started, Ava." She unlocked the car. "Let me drive," I demanded through gritted teeth.

"Fuck no," she spat back. "It's my car, I drive."

"Give me the damn keys!" I growled.

"Fine, take 'em, jackass!" Ava threw the keys at me, making sure to hit me in the face.

We both slid in. This wasn't the way I had imagined this evening ending. I thought maybe in the back of my mind that she felt something for me and maybe with Sarge's urging, I could do this, I could do "us" as a couple, fuck an imprint, who knew if there ever would be one and I was tired of being alone when I wanted the girl next to me, holding on for dear life as I took curves like a maniac, swearing occasionally, making it to our condo before she could say a word. I could hear her mumbling under her breath though. She was pissed…definitely pissed.

"It was going so well and then 'poof,' like magic, you start acting like a total ass. You wanna explain that to me?" Ava spat at me just as she threw open the door to the condo and then threw her purse on the floor. I should've just backed down and let her win, tell her I was being ridiculous. I loved her too much for that though.

"You mean, it was going so well before you threw yourself at the…whatever he is!" I screamed at her. I didn't mean to be so aggressive but I was more than a little pissed. Someone else was trying to get their paws on my love. And I would not let that happen.

**AVA'S POV**

"So let me get this straight, you are so pissed at me right now because you think that guy was hitting on me and you think I should've done something about it?" I asked, trying really hard not to blow my top.

"Don't play that with me, Ava. I know you were flirting with him, I saw it with my own two eyes," Scar seemed to growl at me.

"And what the fuck is it to you, Scar?" I was face to face with him, pushing my chest out. "You don't own me! I'm not your goddamn imprint!"

"Don't," he growled, grabbing my arms.

"No, girls throw themselves at you all the time," I retorted.

"And do I ever so much as give them a second look?"

"Only because you fucking know you're going to imprint and leave every—"I stopped, knowing that if I said too much more, I'd ruin it all. "I have to get out of here." I pushed off of him, I really couldn't stay in there one more minute.

"Don't, Ava," Scar tried to stop me.

"I'll be back," I said, shaking him off again.

"Ava!" he called after me, but I was already out the door. I needed to walk, to breathe in fresh air and clear my mind. Maybe Scar was right, maybe I had been too flirty with Brock. What was I supposed to do though? I was completely in love with Scar and had no idea what to do with all the pent up sexual frustration. And at this point, my worst fear was exactly what I'd shouted at him, that he would imprint and leave me. Not just me, but everyone. Thinking about Liam and his attachment to Scar and wondering if he would give that up if some bitch snatched him away from me.

I didn't get far, though, mainly just around the condo complex when suddenly, the heavens opened and the biggest raindrops I'd ever seen poured from the clouds. Here I was, walking in the pouring rain…in wedge heels. "Perfect!" I screamed at the top of my lungs with my head turned up just enough to get a mouthful of rain water. "This is what I get," I said to myself and pulled off one of my shoes. "Thinking that I had any right to him." I slipped the other shoe off. "I get it! You can stop with the punishments now, I understand! Damn Taha Aki!" I screamed before running as fast as I could, without falling on my face back to the condo.

It was quiet as I locked the door behind me and tore off my now soaked denim jacket. The lights were off in the front of the condo, much to my relief and I was praying that Scar was in bed. Water dripped down my legs and onto the floor. "Shit," I groaned. "Towel!" I said to myself, running up the stairs and into the first bathroom I got to.

There he stood, a blue towel in his hands, and not a stitch of clothing on.

"I'm so sorry, Scar!" I gasped, not really able to take my eyes off his naked body. He didn't seem to be covering up though. He was like a chiseled piece of marble, his whole body hard and sculpted.

"Um…" he cleared his throat bringing me out of my trance.

"Oh, um, yeah, I'll just…" I turned around and shut the door behind me. Dear God, what have I done? I'll never be able to look at him without thinking of him naked. Shit, shit, shit! I sat down on the couch, not caring one bit that I was soaking wet. I aimlessly flipped the TV on, swallowing hard as I looked at the screen. I don't even know what was on but it gave me a few minutes to try and calm myself.

"It's no big deal, Ave. Don't worry about it," Scar sauntered in wearing only his loose gym shorts that hung just at his hips. I'd never noticed that before, the V that led down. It was like an arrow pointing me to the part of him I was suddenly craving. He put his hand out, offering me a towel, but I didn't take it, I just looked at him. I had started to notice these feelings before, weeks, months, years before but I had done a damn good job of hiding them until I walked into that damn bathroom to see him naked.

I couldn't say anything. I looked up into his pools of chocolate that some called eyes and I stopped, stopped thinking, stopped doing anything, stopped rationalizing and I did the unthinkable. His eyes never left mine. It was an intense feeling and I wondered if this was one-tenth what imprinting felt like. My feelings for Scar had been changing lately. He wasn't just my friend anymore, I needed him. I needed him like the plants need rain. I couldn't survive without him. And to top it off, I was in love with him. He restored my faith in the male sex and we showed each other how to live again.

I didn't know if he felt the same way, but I had to try. I stood up, taking the towel from his hands and dropping it on the floor. Then without giving myself time to think, I gave into all the feelings and emotions and I let myself act on them and I wrapped my arms around Scar's neck, pulling his lips down to meet mine. We were both still for a second until I swiped my tongue on his bottom lip and he reacted.

"Ava?" he asked and I could hear every bit of doubt in his voice.

"Just don't…not now…I need you," I said, not sure if there was anything else I would be able to say without crying. Because in only those few words, I had summed up everything I felt for Scar. I needed him. Before I could give him time to react, I lifted my body up and wrapped my legs around him.

"Ava…" he groaned. "We need to talk about this."

I shook my head as I ground against him. "Tomorrow," I kissed him harder. "Right now I want you, I need you…please." It was like the please in my words was all he needed because he responded with force, his own kiss keeping up with me and sounds coming from both of us that I'd never heard before. "Take me to the bedroom," I said softly as he pulled away from the kiss.

"Are you—" he started but I didn't let him finish, I pulled on his hair and ran my fingers through it while I moved one of his hands to rest on my ass instead of my lower back. Why did he decide he wanted to be a talker now?

Without further ado, Scar carried me, attached to his body like an appendage, up the stairs, taking each as carefully as possible, while still kissing me until we reached his door. My back was towards it and I reached behind me to twist the knob. As he kicked the door open, I let my fingers find his hair again. I felt him hesitate, just standing in the doorway and I kinkily yanked on his hair a bit to let him know I wanted to be on the bed, pronto.

"I'm not—" He started and I stopped him again, pulling away and putting my finger on his lips.

"Stop thinking and just love me," I whispered. He never answered, but I knew I was going to get what I wanted when he laid me gently on the bed. With probably way too much force, I pulled him on top of me, keeping my fingers in his hair as he kissed me. He didn't seem to move, other than his head and his lips but I wanted more. I needed to feel his hands on me. "Touch me, Scar," I stopped the kiss and took my hand from his hair, to take his hand from beside my head. I placed it on my bare thigh, then ran it up, pushing my dress as it went until I got to elastic on the leg of my panties. I felt him hesitate again. "It's okay, I want you to."

Just to make sure I was making my thoughts known, I brought Scar's hand to my stomach and rested it just above my belly button before reaching down and pulling my dress completely off. I could feel Scar staring at me and I heard him swallow hard when I reached behind my back and unhooked my bra, taking it off and throwing it on the floor. He still wasn't moving though. He just lay on top of me a little, propping himself up and looking into my eyes.

I licked my lips and took his hand again, this time leading it up to brush against my breasts. My back arched up and I moaned. I was finally getting somewhere when I felt his lips on my neck and his palm on my breast. "These have to go," I said while I ran my hands down his back and sides to his butt, where I pushed his shorts off. He froze on top of me again. I knew he was thinking and I pulled my legs up again so my clothed center was even with him.

"Ugh," he grunted. I swear to God it was the sexiest noise I'd ever heard and I knew I'd do whatever I had to do to hear that sound at least three more times tonight.

"These now," I panted before helping him slide my panties off enough that I could kick them off. We were both naked, both on fire, and both scared out of our minds. I knew I wanted this, and I knew I wanted it now, but I couldn't make any guarantees about what might happen after. I didn't care at the moment, as I scooted my body up the bed to the pillows. I reached down and practically pulled Scar up with me. I reached between us and grabbed hold of him, ready to get the show on the road, when he pushed my hand away. "Please, Scar, please. Let this happen."

"I need a condom," he said, reaching over to his bedside table and pulling a foil packet out. Why the hell did he have condoms? I…what if…what if there was someone else? What if he had planned on bringing someone home from the party and I ruined it? Or what if he had a girl from school? My heart sank for a minute and I wondered if this was a good idea after all. Maybe Scar had been right and I should've left it alone. Then I felt guilty, like I was taking him away from someone else that might actually have a shot with him, someone that he could love. All sudden it was getting really hard to breathe and Scar on top of me was heavier than it was before. Why did I have to need him so badly? Why couldn't I let him find someone that could make him happy? Shit!

Thunder cracked outside as I felt my resolve breaking. I was quite so confident when I knew this wasn't going to be anything we'd ever do again or anything that would mean anything to him. Here all along I'd thought Scar was a virgin and that he was my best friend and he would tell me anything. What if I was going to just be another lay? I hadn't seen him bring any other girls around but I wasn't here during the day and I knew there were lots of beautiful girls at his school. What if this wasn't to him what it was to me?

Just as I opened my mouth to get Scar's attention and tell him that I was sorry , his lips met my neck again and I heard him undoing the foil package, this time me being the one to reach between us and slide on the protective rubber. If he was willing, I was too. I needed this, I needed Scar. I loved him and if for only one night I could belong with him, I'd do it. No regrets, just letting him be with me in the way I had always wanted. I would deal with the repercussions tomorrow.

My hand replaced his and pushed the condom down more. "Fuck!" he gasped/moaned/groaned. I smiled to myself, knowing that I had done that to him, that I had been the one to make him feel so good. On the other hand, I noticed from how far I had to slide the condom, that Scar was packing more of a punch than I realized just by seeing it. That terrified the hell out of me, but at the moment, I wanted him so bad, it didn't really matter.

I released him from my grip and wrapped my arms around his neck to pull his lips to mine. I was hoping he would get the point. It wasn't working though, so I pulled my knees up to rest on his hips. "Please, Scar," I begged. He raised up on his hands and looked into my eyes again. "Please," I pleaded again. This time it worked. He moved one of his hands between us and I had no clue what was happening until I felt him press into my entrance. Everything faded away. Everything was gone…I could just feel him between my knees. I know I whimpered. He was big and my body was trying to stretch. After all, it had been awhile.

I closed my eyes when he started to push into me more. It wasn't enough though. I needed all of him. "More, S-scar," I stuttered. He pulled out a little then pushed back. I could sense his uncertainty but I could also tell by the way his breath became more ragged that it was taking everything in him to keep control. "Scar," I moaned. It was totally weird how good it felt, how complete it felt.

"Ava," his groan matched mine as he pushed in more and more and eventually, when he was completely inside me, my body vibrated and my back arched.

"Kiss me again," I whispered to him intertwining my fingers through his hair again. He complied, placing a gentle, sweet kiss on my lips. He withdrew again then pushed back in, out then in, out then in, until he finally found a rhythm and I was the one starting to lose control. "Ugh!" I moaned louder and felt my body tensing. "Oh, oh. Just…oh, God." He kissed me harder then and then licked down my neck, stopping at the base of it.

"You taste like sugar," he grunted, moving faster. I felt him start to suck above my collar bone and it made me even more euphoric. The friction made me move with him, pulling up both my legs to rest even higher above his hips.

"That feels so…so good," I groaned before slipping my hand over my head and grabbing hold of the headboard behind me. And then I felt it, the sensation that made me release. As he sucked harder, he bit down and a ripple ran through me. "Scar," my hand gripped the spindle of the headboard harder while he sucked and nibbled. "SSSCCAARR!" I dragged his name out while my body shuddered and for the first time in who knows how long, I had an orgasm. And for the first time ever, it felt right.

"Shit!" Scar's mouth came off of my neck and landed on my lips. "Ava, God, Ava…" He pushed harder and then, like he had no control, he growled through his teeth. "Olive juice," he mumbled and I knew he'd found release. I wasn't sure exactly what it was that he said but I knew that his "O" face was something I wanted to see again…and soon. He hovered over me, the streetlight outside showing the sheen of sweat on his skin.

"I'm…that…it was my first time," his voice was very soft and almost embarrassed.

Maybe I had been wrong? Or maybe I was the experiment, shake out all the cobwebs for when the real thing comes along. "You were perfect, Scar." The words couldn't have been truer. He was perfect.

"You're so beautiful, Ava," he leaned down and kissed me again while he flipped us so that he was on his back. "Sleep in here with me tonight." I nodded, finally breaking our connection and climbing over him to lie on my right side. He cuddled me from the back, as we both stared out the window. Neither one of us said anything, he just held me until I felt his breathing change.

"I love you, Scar," I said, and just like that I felt my world crumble.

**SCAR'S POV**

Last night…last night…whoa! It had truly been the best night of my life, hands down, nothing else could even measure up to that feeling like anything else in the world. I had every part of my Ava to myself, her body, her heart, her soul. She was finally mine and I was finally hers and there was no way life could get any better than that.

I had waited for so long and imprint or not, I knew Ava was my soul mate and I actually looked forward to a life where we could be together. I smiled to myself at that, thinking of us together. It was like my life flashing before my eyes but it was our future, _our future, _the life we would have together.

I had decided that the first thing I would do, after I kissed her good morning, was tell her I loved her and that I wanted her to be my girlfriend. It made me feel like a total kid to say it like that, but I was fucking giddy at this point and I didn't care if I sounded like an alien, I wanted her to know she was it for me.

I swallowed hard though when another thought came into my mind. Seth…Quil had warned me about what would happen with Seth. But, you know what? I don't care. I love Ava and if it means I have to suffer a fight with Seth to get to be with her, then I say bring it on, Dr. Clearwater.

I was beyond happy! I remembered the events from the night before and how the rain had seemed to wash away all the old and that maybe, just maybe, there was sunlight today that would light the way for the future.

I rolled onto my side and moved to pull Ava into my side but where I should've found a warm body, I found nothing. Only cold sheets.

"Ava?" I sighed. Nothing. "Ava?" I said it a little louder this time. Nothing. "AVA?" this time I added in a little more force and still nothing.

I sat up in my bed and looked around the room. Her clothes were gone, the door was shut, there was no sign that Ava had ever been in my room. This could not be good.

For a second, I couldn't resist and I had to let the wolf take over, sniffing the air to make sure I hadn't just entirely dreamed the night before. My sheets smelt like her though so I knew that wasn't possible. "Shit," I grumbled to myself, kicking the covers off and sliding on my boxers.

I opened the door, still sniffing the air and followed her scent to her bedroom door. I knocked gently. "Ava?" There was no response. I turned the knob and pushed the door open. Her clothes from the night before were in the hamper. I picked up the dress and breathed in her scent, a scent that was mixed with my scent. It had been real but there was no sign of her.

The bathroom seemed like the next logical choice, but the lights were off, no condensation on the window, the shower only slightly damp. This was really, really not good. I ran down the stairs, two at a time, to the TV room, then the kitchen, then like a maniac, I ran to the parking lot. Her car was gone.

"Fuck!" I yelled just as our neighbor, Mr. Adair came out. "Sorry, not you." He gave me a strange look, though I can only imagine what he was thinking, me standing in front of him my boxers, cursing. I didn't care though at this point.

I jogged back in the condo, up the stairs, rummaging through my jeans to find my phone. I picked it up, flipped it open, and pressed the number 2 on my speed dial. It rang once, then twice.

"_Hey, this is Ava. Voicemail is not a new invention. You know what to do! BEEP!" _

"Um, yeah, Ava call me when you get this," I sounded so lame and creepy I kinda freaked myself out. But how was I supposed to feel? I'd just had the best night in my life, only to wake up to what was turning into a nightmare.

I needed to talk to her. I needed her to tell me I just didn't ruin my life and tell me I hadn't lost my best friend. I figured the easiest thing to do now was put some clothes on, go to the Culinary Academy and get some answers. I found a clean t-shirt and jeans, pulling them on and grabbing my bike bag before almost sprinting out the door.

As soon as I got to my bike, my phone rang. I was almost sure it was Ava and I flipped it open without looking at the Caller ID. "Ava?" I almost screamed.

"No, it's me," the voice on the other end said.

"What the fuck do you want, Paul? I'm not working today," I growled.

Paul didn't bite back like I expected. "Scar, we have a situation."

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**Thank you for reading! Please, please review!**


	12. The Day We Faced Our Demons

**AN: Of course, I still don't own Twilight…if I did, I'd be waking up to Chaske everyday, but alas…**

**Thank you so very, very much to Ninadoll! She is an absolutely amazingly awesome beta, friend, and author. If you haven't checked out her stories, **_**How the Might Fall, The Rest of Forever, **_**and **_**How Wonderful Life Is, Now You're In The World, **_**I promise you won't be disappointed! **

**Thank you as well to my friend, shojioxlow! I can't thank her enough for her support and friendship!**

**As always, thank you to everyone that reads and reviews! You are very much appreciated! Enjoy! Don't forget to check out****my homepage at liljenrocks{dot}web{dot}com for pictures of clothes and the new character that is introduced in this chapter.**

**CHAPTER 12: THE DAY WE FACED OUR DEMONS**

**AVA'S POV**

"Mother fucker!" I screamed, throwing the hot pan onto the floor, spilling the fresh pistachio soufflés I'd just spent the last five hours working on. Add this to the list of things I'd managed to fuck up today.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," one of my classmates rushed to my aid and grabbed my hand. "Let me see."

"I think I'm okay," I lied, jerking my hand back as fast as I could.

He grabbed it again. "And I think you're not."

"Ava, Tucker, everything okay over there?" my instructor asked.

"Ava burnt herself," Tucker answered, holding my hand carefully and examining it very closely. Tucker was attractive, more than just a little, and before today this close contact would've done something for me. Not now though. The night before I had been with the only person I would ever want and I had ruined everything. A friendship, a soufflé, my hand, chalk it all up to being Ava O'Brien.

My phone vibrated in my pocket for the nine hundredth time today. I was almost positive that it was Scar, calling to apologize for making the biggest mistake of his life and to make absolutely certain I knew last night was nothing but a release. I didn't even bother to check it as my instructor grabbed my hand from Tucker and looked at it closely.

"It looks pretty bad, Ava. Perhaps we should let the medic take a look," the instructor motioned for one of the other culinary students to bring him the walkie-talkie while I shook it off.

"No, thank you, Chef," I said, feeling embarrassed and yanking my hand back.

"I insist," he said. What was with all the men on planet Earth today? Had they all taken the same stupid pill and decided to experiment its effectiveness on me?

"No, Chef. Trust me, this isn't the first thing I've burned today," I looked away and tried to hide the tears I knew were coming up.

Chef Watonga stared at me for a second before releasing my arm. "Suit yourself," he shooed us back to our station. My hand did hurt like a son-of-a-bitch but I figured this physical pain made the pain of my heart breaking not so bad.

"You always try to act tough?" Tucker said, leaning down to help me clean up the disastrous soufflé remnants. I scoffed at him. "Like I can't see that you were about to bawl your eyes out back thar'." I hadn't ever noticed the slight drawl that came out in some of his words but it made me laugh a little. This handsome boy with deep blue eyes and a mop top of hair was sexy, for sure, there was no denying it. But he was no Scar. I knew this trick, the Southern boy pulls out the accent and thinks he's going to get lucky, and by all accounts it had probably worked on many girls. But not me. I had just spent the night in the arms of the man I love and nothing could compare to that. No accent, no blue eyes, not even knowing that we would probably never be the same again.

"Look, I appreciate your help, Tucker, but I'm just…I'm really not in the mood to put up with your testerone driven pissing contest," I groaned just as I threw a plate in the sink.

He chuckled. "And I can assure you, ma'am, I'm not hitting on you. I prefer blonds, if you must know. I'm just being a nice Southern gentleman like my Mama raised and trying to help a lady out." He was good, this one.

"Okay, you want to know what's wrong with me? Huh? Do you? Let me tell you," I grabbed a wooden spoon from the counter and started waving it. "First off, let's start at the very beginning. My parents are dead. I'm an orphan and my big sister, the one who always seemed to get the short end of the stick, is living in a fucking fairytale with the man of her dreams, so I'm a little pissed, cuz see, the man I love, the man who by the way, I made love to late night, also happens to be my best friend who is by all accounts unattainable to me. So, you see, I have no parents, no sister, and now no best friend. So yeah, I'm a little pissed off and a little hurt right now. Not to mention that I now have a throbbing hand." At some point I had let the tears escape and I started to slide down the counter to the floor where I collapsed into a pile of sobs.

Tucker walked over and slid down the counter to sit next to me. "All you had to say was you had a rough night," he grinned, handing me the towel that was in the pocket of his apron.

I took it and wiped my face. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to unload on you like that."

"Don't be. I find that sometimes it's easier to talk to someone who has no connection to the situation. Makes 'em impartial," Tucker said, patting my back.

"Thanks," I tried to smile, blowing my nose in the towel before trying to hand it back.

"Oh, why don't you just keep that," he chuckled.

"Sorry," I looked away shyly.

We were silent for a minute. "I have an older brother too. He lives back home in Savannah. Runs our family restaurant. My parents always kinda thought he'd be like the heir apparent, you know? He'd get married, have kids, keep the restaurant going, that kinda thing." Tucker looked away for a second. "When my brother was finished with high school, he went off to culinary school. We heard from him less and less. Then one day, he calls and says he's graduating and he wants us to come and meet his husband, Clint. My parents were none too happy 'bout that, and I have to admit that I was a little freaked out in the beginning. But you know what?" Tucker looked into my eyes and I shook my head. "He was still my big brother. He was still the best chef I've ever known and I still loved him. So this thing with your friend, you're a little freaked out right now, right?" I nodded. "He's still your friend, it doesn't matter what happened, he's still the guy you were friends with before. So even if a romance doesn't work out, which if he doesn't want a relationship with you, he's out of his rabbit ass mind, he'll still be who he was before. Just now you've seen him naked."

I wanted it to be that simple and I was grateful Tucker was there at the moment. I'd never really talked much to him before. Like I said before, he was attractive and hard to miss but there was no chemistry and part of me hated Scar for that because no man, no matter how wonderful they were, would ever live up to Scar. Ever. But at least I was grateful to have someone to just listen, to let me spit out everything I'd been holding back for years. "Thanks, Tucker," I said, taking a deep breath.

"No prob," Tucker picked up my right hand and turned it to the inside to kiss my palm where the blister from the hot pan was starting to form. It wasn't a romantic kiss, more like when a mother kisses a child's hurt.

"Am I interrupting something?" A strong voice said from beside us. I turned to see a woman standing there with her hands on her hips dressed in a nicely tailored blue pinstripe pantsuit.

"Leah?" I asked, hopping up from my position on the floor.

"Don't let me stop you," she chuckled. "I tried to call you, like I don't know, a million times but you wouldn't answer."

I looked down. "I've been kinda avoiding my phone."

"Uh, why?" she asked.

"It's a really long story but mainly I was afraid you were Scar," I said.

Leah scoffed. "Clearly I'm not but we are in a bit of a hurry. Can you leave?"

"Why?" I asked.

"We have an emergency in La Push and have to get there ASAP. There's a snowstorm moving in so we need to hurry," Leah said.

Immediately my mind went to my family. "It's not Abby, is it? Or the baby? Or Ash? Or Liam? Or Seth?" I blurted out in a panic.

"No, but we do need to go and now," Leah said looking down at the phone in her hand as it started to ring. "Excuse me." Leah walked off to talk to whoever was on the other end. Tucker was still sitting on the floor and I looked at the huge mess I still had to clean up.

"Go, I got it," Tucker said. "Just promise me when you come back Monday you have a resolution to your little problem." _Not so little problem_, I thought to myself.

"Thank you, Tucker, so much," I gave him a quick hug and then ran out the side door of the kitchen, picking up my bag and then making it to where Leah was standing.

"Don't worry, Ness, we'll find him," she said, into the phone. There was no telling who the _him _was in the sentence but I almost felt like a wolf, my hackles raised. Something wasn't right. "I'm picking Ava up now and we're headed that way…as fast as my Beamer can take me…Okay, I hear ya, baby brother but the longer you talk and boss me around, the longer it's going to take to get there." Leah looked down at my hand and I instantly winced. "You better have some burn shit too because Ava's mutilated her hand…Hell if I know!" She took the phone from her ear and pushed something. "Ready?"

I nodded. "I'm not sure if the condo's all locked up or not. I haven't talked to Scar…"

"Paul's spoken to him. Everything's been taken care of. We're gonna drop your car off at the condo and then you'll ride with me. Scar and Paul phased and ran back, Rachel's already left," she said, taking my bag from me.

"What's going on?" I asked, trying to figure out why she hadn't told me what the situation was yet.

Leah cleared her throat as she unlocked her BMW that was parked next to my Bug and threw my backpack in the back seat. "I'll tell you on the drive, but we really need to hurry."

This could not be good. I didn't even know how long we would be gone, or why I'd signed up for that Saturday afternoon class and was now screwed.

Leah rolled down the window as I got out of my car at the condo. "Go get the essentials and then come back here. And make it snappy," she instructed me, giving me permission to go in and pack a few things before locking up and running out to her car.

"Are you going to tell me now why we're in such a hurry to get to La Push?" I asked while I fastened my seatbelt, just as she peeled out of the driveway and literally made the drive like a bad remake of Smokey and the Bandit.

"Griffin's been kidnapped. Some fucker hit Billy over the head, then made off with the little guy. We're needed in La Push to keep the women folk calm," Leah said. "And because everyone wants your cookies when they catch the bastards who did this."

I don't think I completely understand what she said until she finished saying it and then it hit me like a freight train. "Wait…Griffin's been kidnapped?" I asked, instantly thinking about the sweet little boy who approached me at Liam's party, happy to announce that he was going to be a big brother. "Oh hell no!" I felt my temper rising. "Hell, hell, hell no!"

"Calm down, Ava. The pack's on it. Trust me, if there's any group that can find him, it ain't the Forks Police Department, it's the La Push Wolf Patrol," Leah said with a smirk.

"Nessie must be going crazy," I lay my head against the window of Leah's car. It was cool and I closed my eyes, trying really hard not to think of Scar, but somehow, he was in every thought in my mind. I wondered, for a brief moment what our children would look like. I had no right to do it, last night had a been a mistake in his mind, I was sure, but I wanted to know. Would they have my green eyes or Scar's crooked smile? It was wrong of me to even wonder.

Leah was driving really fast and I should've been frightened but she looked like she had total control. "What are you thinking about over there?" she asked me.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," she said, keeping her eyes on the road.

"What do you think about imprinting?"

"What?" she chuckled.

"Do you think…is it possible for a wolf to find love without it?" I asked. I wasn't looking at her, I was trying to keep my face neutral, without showing any emotion.

"Well, that's a difficult question for me to answer. See, I used to date Sam. Scratch that, I had pretty much made a lifetime of plans with Sam. But it only took one look at Emily to change all that," Leah sounded confident, not sad like I would've expected. "I used to be a bitch about it, you know? But I have Alex now."

I thought for a minute about what she said before I realized what I needed to ask. "Do you regret it? The time you had with Sam? Knowing that he was going to hurt you?"

She shook her head. "It's taken me awhile to admit that, but I like to think that Sam has helped make me the person I am today. I won't lie and say it didn't hurt, but I can honestly say that even if I could do it over, I wouldn't change the time I had with him."

"You wouldn't?" I asked, completely amazed and turning to look at her. Why would you want to relive that pain? Knowing that life could be so much simpler without it?

"Yeah, it was a disastrous ending, and it hurt like hell. But when we were together, Sam was…he was everything and the way we loved each other, the way he made me feel, I wouldn't give up that time for anything," Leah said, keeping her eyes on the road.

I lay my head back on the window and then closed my eyes. "Do you…do you think it's okay for a wolf to be with someone who's not their imprint?"

Leah chuckled. "You're talking to a former wolf, who is currently married to someone not her imprint." She took a deep breath and sighed. "I get imprinting, I do. And I'm happy for people like Jake and my brother because that's what they needed. But I like to think, I don't need to imprint. I know who I love, sometimes a wolf doesn't need magic to let them know who they love," she said calmly. "Is this about Scar?"

This time I chuckled. "Um, not, um, well…"

"You don't have to tell me, I just want you to know that I'm all for love that bucks the system, so you know, I'm just saying," Leah smiled as I saw the Welcome to La Push: Quileute Reservation sign roll past us. "I can also assure you I won't breathe a word of it to my brother, if that's what you're worried about."

I still didn't trust myself to say it though, to admit out loud how much I was in love with Scar. So I kept my mouth closed just long enough to for us to reach the Blacks' house and just long enough for her to pull the car to a stop. Much to my happiness, Sue Clearwater-Swan stood on the porch, saving me from letting myself give in.

**SCAR'S POV**

I was doing a great job of keeping my thoughts to myself, which was a really great thing considering I had most of the pack in my head. The very last thing I needed at this moment was one of the guys seeing what happened last night and the horrendous morning I'd had so far.

_What happened last night?_ Paul asked from beside me.

_Nothing_, I lied and put my nose to the ground. Today was one of those days where I was glad to be a wolf but also pissed off to be a wolf. Griffin was missing and, on the upside, I was lucky enough to be able to help my Alpha and friend in ways a normal guy couldn't. The downside, of course, being that I needed to talk to Ava and couldn't because I was needed elsewhere.

_What happened last night between you and Ava?_ Paul asked again. I don't know why he kept asking me, it's not like I had any plans of telling him. _Who says you have to tell me? All I have to do is think about her enough and I bet you'll slip._

Deep inside I knew he was probably right but that just meant that I had to try even harder to balance my duty and my libido.

_You had sex with Ava?_ Paul screamed out in my head.

_What? Huh? FUCK! _ A series of expletives rang through my head from the few other guys that were phased.

_Fuck_, I groaned. _I didn't say a word._

_You said libido, hence your talking about sex. Scar, what happened_? He asked. Paul sounded genuinely concerned. He didn't have to be, we were heading to La Push to search for his nephew after all.

_Can we find Griffin and then I'll explain_, I groaned, not really sure I wanted to talk about it yet.

_Oh, come on! We wanna hear!_ Lil' G said in my head, showing me a picture of Ava. I growled out at him. _Temper, temper._

It didn't seem like a long run before we arrived in La Push. I stayed in wolf form and circled Jake's house. Abby came out and smiled at me. Her stomach was slightly rounded and her eyes were red. I could tell she was worried. "Hey Scar," she said, coming up to scratch behind my ears. "I'm not technically supposed to be standing up but I needed some air." She stared into my eyes for a second. "Liam misses you. He's inside with Leah but you should go see him…" she paused and took a ragged breath. "After you find Griffin." I nuzzled her belly with my nose, trying to distract her from thinking about Griffin. "Yeah, this one doesn't seem to like it in there as much as Liam did. She's always trying to cause some of problem. That's why I think it's a girl, she's already got us worried." I laughed in wolf form, making Abby laugh too. She patted my head, "I'm so glad you're here. I can't tell you how much I appreciate you being in Seattle with Ava. I worry about her…" Abby's eyes were misting over and I nuzzled her again.

_Not that I can't appreciate this Hallmark moment you're having with your 'girlfriend's' sister, we kinda have a job we're supposed to be doing_, Sebastian said in my head. Sometimes I really hate that kid. _Dude, you know I can so hear you? _

I started to growl but realized I was snout level with Abby's stomach and didn't want to scare her or the baby inside her. I let out a small whine and then stood. "Go find Griffin," Abby said, with the sound in her voice that I'd only ever heard once before. _"Please save my baby! Please!" _I don't know why I remembered it at that moment, but it was like being in the hospital waiting room the day that Megan died. It was the same sound I heard from Nessie's sobs inside the house, and from the questions I could hear Rachel asking. It was a sound only a mother's voice could make, a sound of desperation and unselfish love. It had been a long time since I'd heard it and dammit it made me want to save the world.

Abby smiled once more before walking back into the house. I felt several more of the guys phase in and I listened to the noise in my head, trying to filter out voices until I heard my name. _Scar, Embry wants you to come with me,_ Zeke said and I followed. I followed as we headed west, past two really shitty motels with nothing but the smell of urine and sex oozing from them. I followed even when I saw a familiar black BMW pull up to the Blacks' with my Ava in it. _ I don't know what's going on, but I need you to concentrate._

I nodded and followed until I caught something. It was a scent I knew. _That's Griffin's scent! _I almost yelled, circling the spot before taking off in a full off sprint towards the direction it was coming from. _I think we got him, guys._

Zeke came to my side, just as we approached the cesspool that actually charged people to stay in. Almost immediately I felt Zeke phase out and I tried to get closer to the window, trying to see if there was any way to get a visual before I literally felt Zeke pull on my fur.

"Are you fucking crazy? Do you wanna get us killed?" he growled. I whined, because in all honesty, that shit hurt. But I did what he asked and lay down in the snow to wait. I didn't move until I saw several cars coming up the side road. I was okay until I saw the police cruisers and I knew I had to get out of there. This was one reunion I'd only get to see in memories of the other wolves.

I could hear it though, even as I ran back to La Push. I stopped almost in my tracks at the ripping pain in my chest and sobs coming from my Alpha. Even though he was human and I was wolf, I could feel his pain and I thought for sure my heart would stop beating any minute. I was familiar with that sound too, the sound of a father begging. _My little princess, come back to Daddy. Please, baby girl_…and I knew, I knew at that moment that Jake and Nessie, none of them, no one would be the same. If Griffin was gone, a huge hole would exist in all of us and it would never go away. No drug, no liquor, nothing could fill it. It was a hole I saw everyday in my father's empty whisky bottles and the locked bedroom door that had once belonged to my little sister.

_He's gonna be okay, Scar_, AJ said, bringing me out of my miserable thoughts. _Seth's gonna check him out when we get back to La Push but he says he thinks he's gonna be just fine._ I felt myself breathe a sigh of relief. _Paul says for you to stay phased. He owes you a talk._

My brothers all disappeared, I assumed phasing back to human and the thought did cross my mind to just ditch the whole "Bonding with Paul" time, but then again I've seen the wrath of Paul and it was not pretty.

_Damn straight it's not, bucko_, Paul chuckled. I could definitely feel the change in his demeanor. _Now, wanna explain those thoughts earlier?_

And I did. I poured it all out, all of it. Every detail about how I'd been in love with her from the moment I saw her, how I'd dreamed about our life together, how I'd feared for my life if Seth found out, and last but not least, our tryst from the night before. I have to admit, it felt really good to get off my chest too. Now I just had to prepare myself for Paul's response. Paul was not really known as the guy you go to with "feelings" issues. He was analytical and really smart, but he was a bit of a hot head and I wasn't sure what an imprinted wolf would have to offer me in the way of love advice. Leave it to Paul to surprise me.

_I don't understand what the deal is, Scar. You love her and it's pretty obvious that she loves you, the girl practically threw herself at you,_ Paul said and I growled. _Easy, I didn't mean to make it sound like she's some kind of floozy. I'm just saying that she didn't seem like she was hesitating._

_Then why did she leave this morning? Why won't she answer her phone? _I had to stop so I could catch my breath. It tore at me that she wasn't there, I wanted to hold her and tell her so many things and she was gone.

Paul was quiet but I could hear him processing all of it, trying to come up with a solution, analyzing everything, every deep conversation Ava and I had had, every bit of our relationship until I heard him laugh. _You're both worried about the same damn thing, Scar. Both of you are so concerned about an imprint that you can't just be yourselves and love each other._

I stopped my stride and hung my head. That was part of it, I knew it was on my part. _ I don't want to hurt her, Paul. I don't want to have to watch her suffer because I wasn't strong enough to keep my eyes to myself._

_And what if you never imprint and instead, you watch her make a life with someone else. She gets married, has kids, and you're just her best friend who happened to slip it in one time, madly in love with her but too much of a coward to tell her. Then you walk around for four centuries, watching her family, and never, ever imprint. What kind of life is that?_ Paul asked. A pregnant pause filled the air while I thought about it.

_What about Seth? _I asked, bringing up another point.

_What about Seth? You and I both know Dr. Too Happy hasn't stayed mad at anyone for more than a day, not to mention it's not like you aren't friends. Besides, we could sit here all day and ask each other what ifs, but the biggest what if I have for you is what if you man up, go to Ava, tell her how you feel, fall madly in love, and live happily every after. What if then?_ He barked.

That was what I wanted…to live happily ever after, with my own family, with my Ava, that was it. I guess I just needed a moment to realize I might have to fight for it, but maybe I could have it. _So what do I do? How do I tell her?_ I asked.

I could hear Paul's smile in his voice. _Well, young grasshopper, you have come to the master. I shall teach you, for you have much to learn._

**AVA'S POV**

The house was abuzz as everyone celebrated. The funny part about it, was that Griffin didn't even seem to realize that we'd all been so worried and all been here just for him. And while Nessie and Jake tried to keep him close, he was more interested in playing with his "mini-pack."

I watched from afar as I sat in the kitchen, waiting for the massive amount of meatloaves and potatoes I'd made to finish in the oven so we could celebrate in style.

"What exactly did you do, Ava?" Seth flipped my hand over, looking over the large red blister that had formed in the palm of my hand.

"I grabbed a really hot baking sheet," I swallowed, remembering the heat and trying to deal with the pain.

"You should've showed me this as soon as you got here," Seth said. He was in doctor mode and as he worked, I mainly just nodded and said yes or no. The truth was, I had noticed that Scar had not come back. Was I really that bad?

I'd spent the whole day worrying, and talking, and worrying, and baking. All I had to show for it was a lopsided bun in my hair, lemon turnovers, and six dozen peanut-butter and jelly cookies. Oh, and now a nice white gauze bandage. I talked to Leah and Abby, to Claire, then played with Ash and the little kids but none of it was working. I only wanted, needed, craved Scar…and he was nowhere to be found.

An hour passed and the food was out of the ovens and still no Scar. "It's ready," I said to Jake.

He slapped me on the back. "Alright everyone!" he called out and almost immediately everyone turned to his voice. "Nessie and I, we want to thank all of you. For everything. The help, the support. You guys, you're not just great friends. You're family." That must have cost him a lot to say, considering what his own sister had done. He hugged Griffin to his chest for a moment and then meaningfully looked up and said, "Thank you." It was heartfelt, the way he said it. Then in true Jake fashion he went on, "I'd also like to say a big, gigantic thank you, not just from me, but from the wolves that are salivating at their snouts, to Ava for this delicious dinner," Jake turned to me. "I don't know about the rest of these guys, but I'm ready for you to come back to La Push, open a restaurant!" Laughter erupted from everyone but I knew there was still a voice missing. "Let's eat!"

Jake's command was all it took, as the women and children filed into the kitchen, where the food was laid out buffet style. I stayed back, almost invisible in the crowd as everyone fixed their plates. My mind was wandering with thoughts of Scar…I closed my eyes and took a deep breath just as a familiar spoke into my ear. _Scar…_

"Can I borrow you for a second?" Scar whispered, taking my hand. I knew he was doing it conspicuously but I still worried someone might see. I followed him out though. I had to find the courage to admit I was wrong and to tell him that I loved him more than any words I could form.

"Scar…" I suddenly couldn't think of how to say it.

"Last night I was the one that wanted to wait and you were all 'No, don't think, just do it.' Besides, I'm not bringing you out here to hump your leg or anything. I wanna show you something," Scar's hand was perfect in mine. I felt whole like this, so close to him.

"That's not what I was going to say," I said, trying to sound confident. It wasn't working though.

He chuckled and pulled me further until we were through the wolf locker room and standing in an area behind the house. The snow was fairly pristine and untouched, except for one path of paw prints. "Follow the prints," he said. It wasn't as dark out as it seemed with the light of the moon on the pale surface of the Earth but it still scared me a little and I grabbed hold of Scar's hand harder. "I'm not letting you go, just follow the prints." I stood still. "Trust me, Ave," he whispered in my ear. I turned back slowly and looked into his eyes. I did. I trusted him with everything, he was my one true love. My soul mate in every sense of the word. It may not have been a mystical force that kept him with me but there was something very supernatural about the way he made me feel. It wasn't an imprint but it was a feeling, a pull that only one look in his eyes could strengthen in me.

"I do, Scar," I said softly. Scar pulled me a little further until the moon was bright overhead and reflected onto the snow. The words "I LOVE YOU" were written in the snow, accompanied by a set of paw prints. "Scar…"

"I mean it, Ava. I love you, what happened last night, it wasn't a mistake. It was what should've happened long ago. And I'll admit that it scares the shit out of me but I can't pretend for one more moment that I don't love you. That you don't own my heart and that I hadn't played last night in my head for years before," Scar pulled me closer to him. "What we have, what I feel for you, I've been in the heads of the other guys and I don't give a fuck what fate says, for all intents and purposes, you are my imprint. I would be whatever you want me to be, do whatever you want me to, but I can't pretend anymore, no more. So even if you don't feel the same way, I needed to say that, because I've kept it in too long."

How do I answer that? How do I tell him that everything he just said were like the words had come from me, he just said them? I decided to take a deep breath and just say whatever it was that was hidden in my heart. I looked into his eyes, slid my arms around his neck and felt his hands around my waist. There was nothing more perfect than the feeling of him surrounding me like that. "Can I tell you something?" I asked. He nodded, keeping his focus on me. "The way I feel isn't new either, Scar. I think I've loved you from the moment I set eyes on you. I knew you, even when I didn't really know you, I knew you," I felt my voice start to crack. "You are so much more than I thought I was worthy of and everyday I feel my heart grow because of you."

"Why do I feel a but coming?" Scar asked. I could hear the fear in his voice and it made me cringe inside. To know I had so much control over him, it was more like an imprint than I think I ever realized.

"But I was scared, scared that I'd get what I always wanted and lose it all in the blink of an eye," I said, running my fingers through his hair as I stood on my tiptoes. "I spent a lot of the day talking to Abby and Leah—"

"Great," he groaned. "Leah, queen of the stone hearts, perfect."

"Be nice. She actually had a lot of great insight to offer. I started with my sister, though. I wanted to know what it felt like, being an imprint," I said. I could feel him tense up. I knew he didn't want to talk about imprinting but if I was going to get through this, we had to talk about it. "The things she told me about the way she felt when she was around Seth, the need to be close to him, to touch him, to have her body crave his, that part made me gag a little, but that's beside the point. The things she described were exactly how I feel about you. I didn't understand why I hadn't been given the chance to be your soul mate."

"But you are, Ava," Scar whispered.

I shook my head. "That's when I talked to Leah. I asked her, knowing what she knows now, if she would give up ever having had Sam to erase the heartache she felt when he imprinted. She said no, Scar," I rested my forehead on his. "That's when I decided that I'd rather have you for as long as I can have you than to never known your love." I put my cold hands on his warm cheeks. "I have to let it happen, I can't fight how much I love you anymore."

It was silent as he continued to stare at me.

"Is that a yes?" he whispered. It was almost like he was worried someone might pop out and tell him he'd been punked.

"Yes," I smiled just in time to feel him pick me up and spin me around a little before placing his warm lips to mine.

"I love you so much, Ava, so, so much," he said in between kisses. This was where I belonged, in his arms.

"I love you too," I replied. It was weird how it felt, saying it out loud like that and knowing I didn't have to hide it from him. He was mine and I was his. "Now, take me someplace where we can be alone."

With a gentle growl, Scar swung me around to rest on his back. "Hold on tight, Beautiful."

"Always," I said in his ear as I placed a wet kiss on his neck.

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Please don't forget to review! And just know that just because they are a couple now, doesn't mean everything is going to be puppies and rainbows. They still have a lot to deal with but as Abby and Seth would say, "Slow and steady wins the race." Thank you again!**


	13. A Day for a Date and a Party

**AN: Of course, I still don't own Twilight…wouldn't it be awesome if I did though?**

**Thank you so very, very much to Ninadoll! She is an absolutely amazingly awesome beta, friend, and author. Please check out her stories **_**How the Might Fall, The Rest of Forever, **_**and **_**How Wonderful Life Is, Now You're In The World**_**! She is truly amazing and she makes writing in her universe so much fun! And her stories are fabulous! **

**Thank you as well to my friend, shojioxlow, who has been putting up with my recent obsession of Mr. Potter!**

**Also, Nina and I have been nominated for two different awards, The Avant Garde FanFiction Awards and the Twilight Original Character Awards. The voting for the Avant Gardes has already started and the other starts in December. Please check them out at www(dot)twilightfb-awards(dot)blogspot(dot)com and www(dot)originalcharacterawards(dot)blogspot(dot)com.**

**As always, thank you to everyone that reads and reviews! You are very much appreciated! Enjoy! Don't forget to check out****my homepage at liljenrocks{dot}web{dot}com.**

**CHAPTER 13: A DAY FOR A DATE AND A PARTY**

**AVA'S POV**

I had always loved Christmas time but something about the Christmas season in Seattle and being in love made it all so much more brilliant. Scar and I had been taking it slow, we went on dates, went to activities at each other's schools but we hadn't slept together since that first time. Sure there were a lot of makeout sessions and a lot of touching, including the night that Griffin was rescued, which we spent practically dry humping each other at Scar's house, but no sex. It almost seemed surreal how nice it was, how loved he made me feel.

I'm still beaming thinking of our first date together.

"_You have a visitor, Ava," Tucker said with a smirk. "I think it's that 'friend' we were talking about last week." I was in the back washing pots and pans. Part of me was praying Scar was here to save me from the never ending dish duty!_

"_Can he come back here? I need to finish up," I said, putting a pot in the sink. I swear I hated the days we worked with caramel. _

"_Sure," Tucker chuckled. _

_I was elbow deep in soapy water when I felt two warm arms come around me. "Does it sound bad for me to say that I think you're very sexy right now, all lathered up? And that chef's coat does things to me," a warm husky voice whispered into my ear. I leaned into the familiar arms and closed my eyes. _

"_I always think you're sexy," I whispered back. "Cowboy."_

_I heard him chuckle and I turned around to see Scar smiling at me. I stood on my tip toes and kissed him, putting my arms around him. "You're getting me all wet," Scar chuckled._

"_That's what I'm supposed to say," I giggled._

"_You wanna play dirty, do ya?" he kissed my lips gently. _

_This was the greatest feeling in the world, I was sure. I lay my head on his chest. "I love you," I said softly. I guess I'd lost the playfulness of the situation and wanted to just enjoy the moment._

"_I love you too, Ave," he said. He rested his chin on my head and sighed. _

_I'm not sure how long we stood there. It was Tucker's voice that brought us out of it. "Sorry to interrupt, but I have a feelin' they're going to lock up here in a bit." _

_I sighed this time. "Thanks, Tucker," I said. I pulled back and looked at Scar. His face was tight and I could see the possessiveness in his eyes. It was like the wolf coming out. "Scar, this is my friend Tucker. Tucker, this is my boyfriend Scar."_

_Tucker automatically stuck his hand out to shake and though I could see lots of worry in his eyes, Scar took it. "Nice to meet ya. I've heard a lot about ya from Ava. I'm happy you guys worked everything out," Tucker said._

"_Nice to meet you too," Scar was still timid and I could hear a little jealousy in his voice so I laid my head back on his chest. "I came by because I thought we might go out."_

_I pulled back again. "Go out? Or like go out, go out?"_

"_Go out, like on a date," Scar said with a smile. He'd been smiling more than he'd ever smiled since I'd known him and it was nice. Scar had a beautiful smile and it suited him. "So how does that sound?"_

_Like he had to ask. "I need to finish these dishes but then I'll be ready. Are we taking the bike?" _

"_Well," he drew out, sneaking a quick kiss. "It is easier to park," he said with a gleam in his eyes. "Let me help you with the dishes and we can get out of here quicker." _

"_Sounds good to me," I said, this time being the one to sneak a kiss. _

_Scar was always willing to help with dishes even at home and damn me if I didn't think it was beyond sexy. I thought it was sexy when he folded clothes or did anything domestic like. At this point, really anything from him, even just breathing, was pretty damn sexy. _

"_I'm going to need to change clothes though," I told him as I scrubbed up the last pot._

"_Actually, I have a change of clothes for you, courtesy of Claire," he nodded his head towards a bag in the corner._

_We finished up the dishes and I changed into the sweater and jeans that Claire had packed. I pulled my hair down and ran a brush through it. It had a slight curl to it from being up in a bun all day which I thought made it look alluring. I touched up my make up a bit and finished off with a red lip gloss._

_We said good bye to Tucker. As soon as we walked out of the building, my eyes noticed something missing from the parking lot. "My car's gone! Someone stole my car!" I started to run towards the spot I knew I'd parked my car but Scar grabbed me, pulling me back into his chest. _

"_Relax, I took care of it," he whispered into my ear. "Paul came with me and he's taking it to the house."_

_I thought for a minute and furrowed my brow. "Paul?" I swallowed hard. "He knows?" My heart was beating a thousand miles a minute because I knew if he knew it could mean very bad things for us._

"_He's not going to tell, Ave. You can relax," he kissed my neck. "I can hear your heart, angel. Relax." _

_I closed my eyes and let myself calm in his arms. "What's on the menu for this date then?" I asked._

"_It's a surprise," he said. We reached Scar's bike and I slid my helmet on. Before Scar put his on too, he gave me a sly smile that made my knees shake and almost buckle. He was good, this one. He knew exactly what he was doing, seducing me with only a smile._

_I hopped on the back of the bike and waited for Scar so I could wrap my arms around him. It was the most heavenly feeling, like being wrapped in a Christmas tree, but in a good way. It was like I could actually feel the world livening up with him. I had to admit I liked when he revved the engine too. It sort of shot this electricity through my whole body and it made me think of how I reacted to him when we were "together" together._

_My school was located not far from Pikes Place Market, which was not far from a lot of the other attractions in the city so I honestly had no clue where we were going. I knew we were close to the Sound and I could hear the sounds of foghorns but the night was pretty dark. I had to keep reminding myself that Scar would protect me, that nothing bad could ever happen when I was with him…it wasn't working though._

"_Where are we going?" I whispered/screamed in his ear._

"_To the ferry," Scar screamed back. "Don't worry, I'll take good care of you."_

_I was weary of the ferry, mainly because I was weary of large expanses of water that I had no control over. Some might say that makes me a control freak, but it hasn't led me astray yet now, has it? Scar parked the bike on the lower level of the ferry and we walked hand-in-hand to the top observation deck. He pulled a thermos from his backpack and poured me a cup of hot chocolate while he drank from the thermos. _

"_It's just one of those Swiss Miss packets and water. Nothing fancy…sorry," he said._

"_No, it is fancy because you made it for me," I said back, caressing his cheek with my hand. I took a sip and I was pretty sure it was the best hot chocolate in the world because Scar had made it for me, to show me how much he loved me. I leaned my head on his shoulder and sighed loudly. He wrapped his arm around me and pulled me into his side. I was wrong before, this, this was Heaven. _

"_Before we even get to Bainbridge, you'll be able to see the Christmas lights from the town," Scar said. He was right too and the lights looked like a freaking movie set! Everything was covered in lights; trees, houses, I think I even saw a dog wrapped in little twinkling lights. It was truly a Winter Wonderland. _

_Scar rode the bike to a small café on the island with the most delectable, mouthwatering seafood I'd ever tasted in my life and I was proud to see the head chef was a graduate of my school. It gave me hope for my future and I smiled when Scar said he had planned it that way. After dinner, we took the bike to a small park in the center of town where an ice rink was set up, as well as an ice igloo. We chose to sit on a bench next to the rink. Just to watch everyone else and take it all in._

"_When I was growing up in Oklahoma, Christmas was always my favorite time of year," I told him as we watched a pimple-faced boy try to sneak a kiss from a girl dressed in pink only to have her punch him in the jaw. I giggled a little at that. _

"_Me too. When I was a kid, my Mom would take me to the mall to do the whole Santa Claus picture thing. Then she'd take me to the candy store and I'd get tons and tons of licorice. At the time, I thought that was the most amazing thing in the world. I guess for a kid, it was," Scar said with a hint of sadness in his voice._

"_My parents always had this Christmas party every year. It was usually just a good time to get together with people we hadn't seen in awhile. The thing I remember about it though was that even when we were little, we were always included. Abby wasn't ever really up for it and Ash was so young she probably doesn't remember, but I know I loved it," I snuggled closer into his arms. "Sometimes, it's the silly things about them I miss."_

"_I know what you mean," Scar said. "But remember what you told me. It's okay to remember."_

_I knew he was right but there were things I wanted now that hurt too much to remember. Like wishing that Scar could've met my Dad. They would've gotten along but I know my Dad would've hated the idea of him being into motorcycles or knowing that I rode on the back of his bike quite often. And my Mom, I knew that she'd have loved him, not only because he was fabulous, but because _I_ loved him so much. Those were the things that I missed the most._

"_Maybe we should have a Christmas party," Scar brought me out of my thoughts. I pulled my head from his chest and gave him a questioning look. "We have our own house, we have friends, we should throw a party." He pulled me back to kiss my forehead. "After all, we should really make our debut as an official couple, to more than just Quil and Claire." He growled under his breath. "And that Tucker dude."_

_I knew he was jealous and I couldn't help but giggle even if I had to admit that it sounded really nice. We could be us, the in love, out of control us and that made me very, very happy. "A party would be fun," I grinned at him. "But that means that we wouldn't be able to invite anyone from La Push or Forks." The thing that made me the most sad about that was knowing my sister and Seth or Jake and Ness wouldn't be able to come. Our relationship was still a no-go with the pack, as in we didn't tell anyone. _

"_I know, I'm sorry about that," I felt him swallow hard. _

_I held onto him tighter. "It's okay. It's worth it."_

And thank God it was worth it because as happy as I was to be planning an amazing Christmas party, it didn't make things any less awkward when I spoke to my bedridden sister everyday. I suspected that she knew something was up by the softer tone in her voice and her constant inquiries into how Scar was doing, what he was doing, if he was seeing anyone, etc.

"Ava, should I go with the red and black tie or blue tie?" Scar said from behind me. I turned around to see him standing in black pinstripe slacks and a white button up shirt with a tie in each of his hands. In my mind, it didn't matter what he wore because I'd be picturing him naked anyway. This whole no-sex thing was starting to wear on me. Especially when he just made himself so damn sexy all the time.

I walked from the kitchen, where I'd been putting the final touches on a plate of salmon canapés, to the den. Scar kept holding the two ties up, then taking each down, furrowing his brow. It was cute seeing him so clueless, especially considering how extremely proud I was after his first semester grades were all A's. "I like the red and black one," I told him.

He smirked at me. "Then the red and black it is," Scar said before turning to walk towards the stairs. "Oh, by the way," he said. "You look…breathtaking."

"Thank you," I said shyly. I was not a shy person but sometimes, when he was being as sweet as he was right now, I couldn't help but let my body react. Scar just did that to me, in ways I couldn't explain.

I finished up the last of the appetizers and plugged in the iPod over the stereo, letting the Christmas playlist shuffle through songs for the evening. I was completely ready to face the crowd of people that I knew were coming, and I was going to be able to do it with Scar by my side. I wouldn't have it any other way.

**SCAR'S POV**

The night started with a doorbell ring. I knew this was going to be a mainstay of the night, the doorbell ringing. I was pretty sure I wasn't even aware the number of friends we had until we started making the guest list for the party. Add to that that three-fourths of the guest list had actually RSVP'd to let us know to expect them. So this time, when the doorbell rang, I was ready for it.

"We brought wine, red and white. I hope that's okay," Anita said, hanging me a brown paper sack.

"I wanted to put some fancy tissue paper and kinda spruce them up but Anita told me to quit being girly." It was a funny thought. The big, muscled, tall Sarge with tissue paper and bows.

"Thanks," I smiled. Neither Ava or I were old enough to drink, but there were other people that would be and I was grateful for the Drinkwater's contribution. I wouldn't touch it, I was strictly a beer drinker and that was only on occasion but it was good to know Anita and Sarge thought enough of us to bring a gift.

The doorbell rang again to announce the arrival of Tucker and his new girlfriend, a British girl named Cambria. She was about a foot shorter than Tucker and hardly said a word, in sharp contrast to Tucker, who I learned never shut up. Not that I minded, especially if he brought a girlfriend. That meant his paws were off my Ava.

A few other of Ava's culinary buddies showed up and I tried to get excited as they did when they ate and used words like "blanched" and "flambéed," words that really didn't mean much to me. Hiawatha came, he and I had actually been doing some work together fixing up an old bike he had that was in serious need of repair and it was nice to have a close male friend outside of the pack.

"Are you planning on playing butler all night or are you going to get to enjoy this shindig?" Paul asked, nursing a Heineken bottle. "And where's that girlfriend of yours? She's got my wife around here somewhere."

I choked on the asparagus I was eating. "You told Rachel?" Shit, shit, shit…the Alpha's sister knew and that could only mean a matter of time before everyone knew.

"Relax, will ya? Rachel knows not to say anything," he took another swig from the bottle. "But I wish you could've seen your face just now!" He chuckled and I half wanted to kick his ass for thinking my panic was funny.

I walked away and rolled my eyes. I don't mean to brag, but I must say we throw one hell of a party. Probably the greatest thing about it, though, was that Ava and I could be Ava and I. There was no pretending, there was no fear of imprinting, hell, not even any concern about wolves and vampires, except of course for the three wolves here.

I spotted Ava out of the corner of my eye, talking in a group with several other women. She looked beautiful in her sequined dress. I wondered if she knew just what she did to me when I saw her. If she knew that I loved her smile so much or that I wanted her to wear blue shoes when we got married, because I had every intention of spending the rest of my life with her. She was absolutely everything I never knew I always wanted.

As the night went on, I kept my eyes on Ava, even though I had conversations with people all the way across the room. As much as I was enjoying the party, I couldn't wait for everyone to go so I could have a few hours alone with my angel. It didn't end until three hours later. I helped with what I could of the cleaning up process and listened to her and Claire sing the Christmas carols that played while they restored the condo to its previous glory. Just as I was about to go upstairs, the iPod began to play "Baby, It's Cold Outside." I couldn't resist the urge to at least be in each others arms for a brief time. So I walked behind her and slid my arms around her waist, humming into her ear.

"Dance with me?" I asked. She nodded and turned to wrap her arms around my neck.

"I love this song," she whispered.

"Me too," I chuckled. "Makes me think about never letting you go from my arms."

_I ought to say "no, no, no sir"__  
__(mind if I move in closer)__  
__at least I'm gonna say that i tried__  
__(what's the sense in hurtin' my pride)__  
__I really can't stay__  
__(oh baby don't hold out)_

_Baby, it's cold outside_

"Hmm…sounds nice," she said back as we swayed to the music. It was amazing to me how well our bodies seemed to fit together, how she fit perfectly against my chest like this.

_I've gotta get home__  
__(but baby you'd freeze out there)__  
__say lend me a coat__  
__(it's up to your knees out there)__  
__you've really been grand__  
__(I thrill when you touch my hand)__  
__but don't you see?__  
__(How can you do this thing to me?)__  
__There's bound to be talk tomorrow__  
__(think of my lifelong sorrow)__  
__at least there will be plenty implied__  
__(if you got pneumonia and died)__  
__I really can't stay__  
__(get over that old out)_

_Baby, it's cold, Baby, it's cold outside._

The song ended, as it seemed the playlist did but we didn't break apart right away. We both stood, still swaying in the kitchen, wrapped up in each other. I listened to her breathe and closed my eyes. This was all it took for me to find my center. If I had gone my whole life never feeling good enough, or important enough, I knew, in Ava's arms, I was loved, I was important.

"Uh, guys, don't you know the music stopped?" Claire said making me open my eyes and catch her with a funny look on her face.

"Yeah, we were kinda having a moment," Ava said. I could hear the annoyance in her voice and I fought back a laugh. "But thanks for ruining it. I'm going to remember that the next time you and Quil do whatever it is you two do."

Claire giggled. "You know what we do."

"And on that note, the moment truly is finished," Ava groaned.

"Glad to know I could help," Claire skipped off.

Ava pulled away but I pulled her back to me. "Thank you," I said, leaning over to kiss her. "I had a great night."

Ava grinned. "Me too." She leaned up to kiss me again. "Everything is all cleaned up and I'm ready for bed."

I wasn't sure how much of that was a clue to me that she wanted me with her or if she was just trying to tell me it was time for bed. It had started to become confusing the last few days. I knew we were keeping the physical part of our relationship pretty low-key. I had every intention of sleeping in my bedroom, I guess. I walked with her to her bedroom but stopped outside the door. "Good night," I whispered, giving her a final kiss. When I pulled away though, her eyes caught my attention. She was so beautiful and she looked at me so intensely. I could tell she was thinking.

"Don't go," she said. Her arms were around me in a matter of seconds and she pulled me into the world's tightest hug. "Stay with me."

I couldn't help but smile at that. We said we were going to take it slow and I was not going to be the one to blow it. "Okay," I blurted out. So much for being strong.

"I…you need to go to your room though," Ava said nervously.

Now I was thoroughly confused. "Okay?"

"Not for the night, you just need to go get something," she blushed. Ava never blushed…ever. I kept staring at her before it hit me what she was implying.

"Oh!" I yelped. Really, deep inside, I think me and Lil' Scar were about to jump out of our skin in anticipation. "Okay, I'll be right back."

"Hurry," she whispered, giving me a kiss.

"Yes, ma'am," I smirked. I ran as fast as I could to my room, going directly to my bedside table and pulling out about a half-dozen condoms. That was probably a bit presumptuous of me, but one can never be too careful. Not to mention that we should have some in her room to. You know, just in case. I shoved the condoms in my pocket and rushed out of my room, only to slam into a brick wall. "Shit!"

"And where the hell do you think you're going?" Quil asked, being the said brick wall.

I growled and shoved him, not too hard, but hard enough to get the point across. "Shut up, Quil."

He chuckled then and crossed his arms over his chest. "You know, you're really lucky I'm so good at keeping my thoughts to myself. Otherwise, the next time I patrolled with Seth, there'd be a fresh order of Scar's Balls on the menu the next day." I knew Quil thought he was being funny, but I also knew, whether he wanted to or not, he was protecting me. He knew about Ava and me. It wasn't just because Claire knew either.

"I know. Thank you for that," I said, nodding.

Quil leaned against the wall. "What's the rush, Romeo?"

This was really getting ridiculous. "Quil, please. Don't you have a cradle to rob?"

"Ha, ha, ha. You're a riot," he faked a laugh. "I just wanted to let you know that even if Claire and Ava weren't friends, I'm glad that Ava has you and that you have her. There's something there not even an imprint could have. But be careful. I don't want to have to imagine the fight that will happen between you and Seth if you knock her up."

I rolled my eyes. The Hallmark moment clearly gone now and replaced with Quil's sarcasm. "Thanks," I groaned. He finally let me pass and I literally ran back to Ava's room. I slowly opened the door, not finding her anywhere in the room. "Ava?"

"I'm in the bathroom. I'll be out there in just a second," she said softly. "Will you…will you light the candles by the bed?"

"Sure," I answered. I used the matches already set out and lit the candles on either side of the bed. I turned the bedroom light off before sitting on the edge of the bed and slipping off my God-awful dress shoes. I could hear Ava moving around in the bathroom and it made me very curious about what she was doing in there. I pulled my socks off, then moved to the top of the bed and leaned against the headboard. I swear the moment I closed my eyes, the bathroom door opened. I wasn't sure what I had thought Ava might have been doing, but this was better than anything I could've fantasized about. There she stood, leaning into the doorway, wearing her strapless bra, her black lacy panties, and her blue high heels.

"Had to hang up my dress," she said softly.

I ran my eyes from the tip of her toes up, to her soft calves, supple thighs, her everything was more perfect than anyone could describe.

"You're beautiful," I said. I got up and walked over to her, taking her hand in mine.

"I don't think so," she said. It was funny to see Ava's face turn pink when she blushed.

"You'd think wrong then," I smiled and then pulled her into my chest. I looked into her eyes and moved a stray hair from around her face. "I happen to think you are not only the most beautiful thing I've ever laid eyes on," I leaned down and kissed her lips gently and then pulled away. "I think you're the most caring, most intelligent, not to mention sexiest thing in the world." I kissed her again, this time with a little more passion. She pressed into me and wrapped her arms around my neck. I slid my tongue on her bottom lip and Ava more than happily parted her mouth. I couldn't stop myself from putting more into the kiss, letting my tongue get carried away and running my hands down her sides. I felt goosebumps rise up on her skin and I smiled. I pulled away again. "Not to mention that you can cook," I chuckled.

"I aim to please," she whispered. Fuck if that didn't make my body react more and I pulled her up to wrap her legs around my waist. "I love you," she said as I walked backwards and until my knees hit the edge of the bed.

"I love you too," I said against her lips. I heard her shoes hit the floor before starting to sit on the bed.

"Wait," she stopped me. "It's too hard to get you naked if you're sitting down." She loosened my tie and slipped it over my head before working on the buttons of my dress shirt. I kept hold of her as she slid it over my shoulders and off my arms, then placed gentle kisses on my pecs. "You may have to put me down for a second." As much as I hated to lose the contact, I did as she said and let her loose to stand in front of me. Without really saying anything else, Ava's small hands unbuttoned and unzipped my pants. She pushed them down, along with my boxer briefs. I kicked them away, realizing I was standing in front of her, completely naked. She bit her bottom lip. "Talk about beautiful, you're like a piece of art." Ava kissed my chest, then moved down to kiss my stomach. I felt her lips going lower and she stopped right as she reached my belly button.

"Ava," I groaned. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to handle it if she went much further.

"Relax," she said and pushed me backwards to sit on the bed. "Scoot to the top of the bed." I liked this commanding Ava, and by the looks of it, so did Little Scar. I did as she asked and then watched her pull a condom from the pocket of my discarded slacks.

"Not that I don't mind being naked, but I'd like you to join me." My voice was thick and I knew I must've sounded like a total horndog, but damn the things this woman did to me. She threw the condom on the bed, then turned away from me. I wasn't sure what she was doing until I saw her fingers unclasp her bra. She smiled evilly, looking over her shoulder at me. I smiled back at her.

"Better?" she asked, this time her voice more husky and thick.

"We're getting there," I grinned.

She hooked her fingers into the band of her panties and I swallowed hard, anticipating what was coming next. Almost painfully, she slipped them off until they fell down to her ankles. She kicked them away and grinned again. Very slowly she turned and faced me. I could see she was acting very confident, but there was a hint of vulnerability in her eyes. "It's just me, Ave. We don't have to do this if you don't want," I said.

"I'm okay, just a little intimidated," she swallowed hard as she looked at me. Ava closed the space between us, picked up the condom again, opened the foil packet, took it out and placed it on me. She crawled on the bed then moved up to straddle me. She pushed the condom down and I could swear I heard myself literally gasp for air. "I'm going to get us started, but I want you to be on top. It...I need that."

I nodded and pulled her to my chest again. "I just need you," I whispered to her. Ava wrapped her arms around my neck. She placed a wet kiss on my jaw, then across until she got to my lips. I felt her scoot forward even more and I thought for sure when I felt her hovering over Little Scar, there was no way I was going to last long at all.

"Ready?" Ava asked. She laced her fingers in my hair. I nodded and that was all it took. With a loud gasp, she slid down until I was completely inside her. I was pretty sure a moment passed before either of us breathed. Ava rocked her hips then pulled my head forward until my lips were on hers. My hands had been on her back but without thinking, I moved them to her hips while she kept kissing me. She may have been on top, but I was in control. I held her hips and moved them forward, then backwards. It was the most amazing sensation. Little Scar and I could attest to that. "Scar," she moaned.

"Love you," I groaned.

"Always," she said back.

I could feel her body starting to tighten I knew this was my cue to keep my promise from earlier and I kept her close as I moved us to put her on her back. Probably my favorite thing about making love to Ava is her love of kissing. That to me, kissing her like this, was almost as intimate as the other act we were presently involved in.

"Ugh! That feels…" Ava moaned and arched her back. I slowed my thrust a little because I knew she was close. Her eyes were closed tight and she was biting on her bottom lip. I looked at her and almost completely stopped. She was truly a magnificent creature. I started to move again, kissing her neck. "Wait!" She yelled to stop me. "Go slower."

I did as she said and slowed my ministrations. She kept her eyes closed but I felt her running her fingers down my back, then up to chest. She slowly hitched one of her legs up over my hip. We moved together until I heard her gasp. "Scar…Sca—" She shuddered under me and I felt her tighten around me. With four more thrusts and Ava's deep moans, my own release was right behind hers. "We need to do that more often," she said, slightly out of breath.

"I concur," I chuckled. "That was…"

"No words," Ava breathed out.

"Exactly," I said, still trying to catch my breath and wrap my brain around it all.

"I love making love to you, Scar," Ava looked up at me. I was inside her and her fingers ran through my hair. Her eyes sparkled and I had a hard time deciding if she was more beautiful with the sequined dress from the party on or now, naked with a glean of sex sweat.

"That's good, because I love making love to you and I plan on being able to for a very long time," I said. She giggled as and I rolled off so I could lay on my back.

I felt Ava roll in my arms and look up at me. "Can I ask you a question?"

I couldn't help but run my hand down her back. I loved how her bare skin felt under my fingertips. "Of course," I watched her eyes rake over my chest.

"Why me?" she put her hands under her chin. "You could have anyone in the world but you chose me. Why?"

I couldn't stop the smile that formed either. I had thought almost the same question, only I was trying to figure out why Ava would want me. I'd seen the way guys looked at her. She could do so much better than me but she chose me, she loved me. "Because when I'm with you, I'm me." She gave me a little bit of a confused look. "I can be sad and happy with you. I can tell you about my life, past, present, and future, and you always love me. It's always been you, Ava. Even when I didn't know it, when I couldn't say it, it was you."

Ava pulled herself up and launched herself at me. She moved her lips to mine and kissed me harder than I'd ever been kissed before. "I knew it was you, too. From the first time I set eyes on you. It may not have been an imprint, but I just knew." I kissed her this time and pulled her up more so she could straddle me. I was pretty sure we were going for round two. She grinded herself against me and kept kissing me. Then, all of the sudden she stopped. "I need you to promise me something."

"Okay," I said simply.

Her eyes got sadder and her face fell slightly. "If…When…No, if…if you imprint, you have to promise me you will tell me right away. No trying to hide it, Scar. I want to know and I want us to be able to discuss where we go from there. But I don't want to be in the dark about it. I need you to tell me."

I wanted to object but I could see her emerald eyes full of worry. I wanted to tell her that I would fight forever for her if I needed to. That there was no need to be worried, but that was a foolish thought on my part. I had to hope that if the day every came, and I imprinted, I would be able to fight and be strong for Ava. I didn't tell her that though. If I had tried to she would've gotten pissed and then there would be no physical contact for weeks. Instead, I answered her the way that popped into my head. "I will," I said simply. Now, I just had to be sure I never, ever had to keep that promise.

**Thank you for reading! Please take time to review! Happy day-after-Thanksgiving!**


	14. Spring Days

**AN: Twilight still belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I do however own a copy of **_**Eclipse**_** with Spanish subtitles. It's a long story…**

**I apologize for taking so long to get this chapter out. I don't know why, but with the holidays and the content of this chapter, I had a difficult time writing it. I hope this chapter is worth the wait.**

**Gigantic thank you to Ninadoll! She was incredibly patient with me as I attempted several different drafts of this chapter, not to mention, providing much needed inspiration in the form of Embry and Petra. She is an awesome beta and friend. Please, please check out her stories, including **_**How the Mighty Fall**_**. She is extremely talented and I can promise you won't be disappointed.**

**Also, thank you to my friend, shojioxlow, who helped me deal with my family over the holidays and for keeping me from going insane!**

**And…congratulations to SpunkiiReader who told me in her last review that she welcomed her own little bundle of joy in October! I hope your little one is healthy and well.**

**My blog address has changed but the content is the same. You may find it at ****liljenrocksfanfiction (dot) blogspot (dot) com. Thank you! **

**CHAPTER 14: SPRING DAYS**

**AVA'S POV**

Spring Break…I'm pretty sure two sweeter words have never been spoken. I love my school, don't get me wrong, I just feel like I'm so physically exhausted, I don't know what to do with myself. Not to mention that Scar would be out of school too, meaning we would get to spend lots of time together. Just the two of us, doing the things we liked to do when it was just the two of us. Or at least, that's the way it was originally supposed to be. Scar and I had made a mini-itinerary of our plans for the week. He would have to work three of the days and patrol four of those nights, but that was okay. We would make the most of the rest of them, including long days in bed, snuggling, cuddling, canoodling, or all of the above. However great the plan was, things, as usual, didn't quite work out. The precursor to this came in the form of a phone call the Friday before Spring Break was to start. I would love to blame it all on Abby but I can't. I know it's not easy for her, taking care of the two of us, even if I do live a couple of hours away, as well as one and a half other children, and being on bedrest. So as much as I want to throw a fit and tell her I had better things to do, I couldn't.

"I'm sorry, Ava, I know it's short notice and I know you probably have a list of other things to do, but I was wondering, you know, Ashley, she's been cooped up in the house for so long," Abby was babbling as she talked and I knew that wasn't a good sign. "And her birthday is coming up, so I wondered if she might, if you would, if she could—" I almost wanted to giggle at her, knowing she was probably sweating like a sinner in church on the other end of the line. "Would it be okay if Ashley came there for Spring Break? She doesn't have to stay the whole week, just a few days, and Seth would bring her. Just for a few days."  
I smiled on the other end. How could I possibly be mad at that? "That would be great, Abbs. When would Seth bring her?" So much for long days in bed…

While my plans may have been changed, they weren't ruined, that's for sure. It had been awhile since I'd spent much time with just Ashley and me, or rather just Ashley and Scar and me. So this was going to be a new and fun adventure.

"What time is Seth supposed to be here?" Scar asked. He had the job of making sure all of his stuff that had become part of my room, made it back to his room, just for this week. I wasn't entirely sure how I was going to make it without him next to me every night when I fell asleep or every morning when I opened my eyes. We hadn't been apart for quite awhile and I guess this would just be one of the many challenges we would face as a couple.

"Noon, he's bringing Liam too," I smiled at the thought of my little nephew, quite possibly my most favorite person under the age of five on the whole planet.

I felt Scar's arms snake around my waist and I leaned back into him, my back against his chest and his chin on my shoulder. "That's why you're making brownies," he chuckled. I slid my hands over his and closed my eyes as he kissed my neck.

"They're Liam's fave," I started to pant as he sucked lightly on the space just below my ear. "This isn't a good idea. Seth could be here any minute."

Scar let out a low growl and then released me from his grip. "It's not fair," he grunted. I watched him as he paced a few steps in the kitchen. "I want him to know, Ava. I want him to know that you're it for me, that I choose you. I don't need anyone or anything's help. I choose you myself."

"Probably not the best way to approach it considering his opinion on imprinting," I sighed. I could empathize with him, I could, but I didn't want to do anything to harm the relationship that I had with Seth. He really was like an older brother to me and he loved my big sister. I owed it to him, to everyone, to do what was supposed to be done. That said, I was not going to apologize for my relationship with Scar. I loved him, plain and simple. No one else on Earth would mean to me what he does. Ever. "I want everyone to know too, Scar, but there's a way to approach it and just yelling it out on a lazy Sunday afternoon is not the way to do it," I reasoned with him.

Scar shook his head. "Let me tell you something, Ava." He was next to me before I knew it. "I know that. I have more respect for Seth than I could tell you. Not just him, but Abby too, and I would never do anything to hurt them on purpose. But this," he held my hand in his and placed it gingerly over his heart. "This is bigger than any of that, this is forever."  
"Scar," I sighed, feeling very defeated.

"It's okay, I promise I won't tell him today or anytime soon but I'm warning you that I won't be able to keep it a secret forever. It's not fair to me, but more so, it's not fair to you," Scar pulled me to him again and lifted my chin to raise my eyes to meet his. "Forever, Ave, remember that."

"Forever," I whispered to him. We stood like that for a few minutes, neither of us wanting to move. It was almost like a magnet keeping us close. I thought this analogy was funny considering that I'd often heard wolves and imprints talk about the pull they felt, like magnets. Sure we may not have the imprint pull, but we had a pull, that was for sure.

I finished the brownies, then Scar and I changed the sheets on Claire's old bed. I put a small arrangement of Gerbera daisies next to the bed and opened the curtains to let a little light in. The closer it got to noon, the more excited I got about Ashley visiting. She would be spending her birthday with us and I wanted to make sure she felt like a princess. I knew she'd love sleeping in what was Claire's old room. It was perfect for her, light and airy and cheerful. Just like my little sister.

"Perfect," I smiled to myself before heading back downstairs to the kitchen to cut the brownies and wait for our guests to arrive. I knew Seth wouldn't be even a minute late. That's just how he was, and I chuckled thinking how he'd ended up in a family with so many girls who were always a little late.

"They're here!" Scar yelled from the den, breaking me out of my thoughts.

I smiled to myself again as the doorbell rang. It was hard not to skip to the door because even though Scar's and my plans for the week had been great, I was happy to know that having Ashley here would make her happy and ease Abby's stress as she entered the last few weeks of her pregnancy.

"Ava!" Ashley jumped into my arms as I opened the front door.

I had to steady myself as she wrapped her arms around my neck and pushed me back a little with the force of her hug. "Hey, Ash," I giggled. Seth stood in the doorway with Liam in his arms.

"Scar?" Liam asked with a raised eyebrow that reminded me of the look Seth gets when he's thinking.

"Right here, buddy," Scar said from behind me. He walked up next to me as Liam stretched his arms out and squirmed in Seth's arms.

"Calm down, he's not going anywhere," Seth said with a chuckle.

"I'm so excited to get to stay with you! This is going to be the best birthday ever!" Ashley squealed and hugged me tighter.

"I hope so," I hugged her back and swayed a little with her in my arms. It was amazing to me how small she was, even for a soon-to-be nine-year old, she was small for her size, but that didn't mean she didn't pack a punch.

Seth cleared his throat. "Oh, sorry," Scar chuckled, then grinned. "Come on in, Seth."

"Thanks," Seth said, putting Ashley's small pink duffle bag down. "And thank you for letting her stay with you. It's all she's talked about for days."

"How's Abbs?" I asked, putting Ashley down.

Seth's eyes tended to glaze over in love when he talked about Abby and this time was no different. "She's good. She and Claire finished up the remodel and just as Claire opened up, Kim put Abby on permanent bedrest. She's a little pissed that she's not been able to work."

"Have her patients been okay with her being gone for so long?" I asked. I knew my sister loved her job and I knew being away from it had to be killing her. She'd just really gotten back in the swing of things when she found out she was pregnant with Clearwater #2, and then not long after, when she started having complications, the number of hours and days she could work were limited.

"They've been fairly good about it. Ginger comes up about once a week and deals with any major issues now, so that's made things a little easier," he answered, keeping an eye on Scar and Liam who were play wrestling.

"OOH, Liam! Show Auntie Ave your howl!" Ashley said.

Liam jumped up and ran towards me. "I how, Ave!" He puckered his little lips, and let out what sounded like a little puppy's attempt at howling.

"I taught him that!" Ashley smiled. "There's a couple new wolves around the house and I'm trying to teach Liam how to talk to them."

"You know you have to stay away from the wolves though, right?" Scar asked with a worried look as he scooped up Liam from his place next to me.

"I know. Liam knows too. Seth says they might be ravib," Ashley said with a determined look.

"You mean rabid?" I chuckled. I knew the wolves she was referring to were the newest pups to join the pack. Everyone found Ashley's fascination with the wolves quite funny and interesting. But I knew that both Scar and Seth worried she might put the pieces together one day and figure out that they were the wolves she was so enthralled with.

"Same thing," she furrowed her brow and put her hands on her hips. This was definitely going to be a fun week. I hadn't forgotten how much I loved my little sister, but I had forgotten how very much she was like me.

Seth and Liam stayed for lunch, then headed to Leah's for a visit before going back to Forks. For Ashley's first day in Seattle, Scar, Ashley and myself walked to my school so Ashley could take a look at where I spent all my time. It was funny to watch her ooh and ahh over the funniest things. She was especially fond of our cupcake machine that filled the cupcake pans with a consistent amount of batter, making sure each one had the same amount to create a universal batch. Then that night I made her favorite dinner, homemade macaroni and cheese.

"Oh, this is the best thing I've ever eaten, Ava! It's like Heaven in a bowl!" she squealed taking huge bites and grinning all the while. I had to admit that it made me feel all warm on the inside to see her smile so much.

"She's not lying, Ave," Scar said from his seat beside her, his actions almost mirroring Ashley's, only with much larger bites.

"Thanks, guys," I said as I sat down with them.

After dinner, we all three curled up on the couch and started watching a movie. About an hour through it, Scar glanced at his watch and then at me. I knew that was his way of telling me he needed to go, for his scheduled patrol. But Ashley was between us and we both looked down at her as she giggled at some funny scene in the movie. We must have both been trying to think of a plan but we forgot to take our eyes from Ashley.

"Why are you staring at me?" she asked, with an amused look on her face.

"Oh, Scar needs to go run an errand but he didn't want to disturb you," I lied.

"Seth always goes to run errands about now too," she answered back with an even more amused look on her face that quickly turned to a questioning look. "Why do you guys do that? Where do you go?" Scar and I stared at each other but nothing was coming. "It doesn't matter, I guess. Abby always tells me it's grown up stuff and not to worry about it."

"She's right," I said, pulling her close to me so Scar could go about his way. It didn't feel right though. Every time Scar had to patrol, I at least kissed him goodbye. I had learned from the day of the newborn battle that there was no guarantee of safety with a boyfriend as a wolf. There would be no kiss tonight though and he swiftly made his way out the door.

When the movie ended, I tucked Ashley into her bed and kissed her forehead. We said our "I love yous" and then I made the walk down the hall. I passed Scar's bedroom and felt my heart ache a little. For the first time in months he wouldn't be joining me in my bed. It was another thing that didn't seem right. My bed felt empty without him in it. But it had to be done to keep the secret of our relationship from being divulged.

So imagine my surprise when I woke up at three in the morning to soft kisses on my neck. "I couldn't sleep. I tried, but I can't sleep without you in my arms," Scar's voice was soft. It wasn't full of lust but full of love. With a voice like that, how could I possibly deny him?

I guess the next morning, we both must have slept later than Ashley. I woke up to the sounds of the TV downstairs, almost blaring and it scared me a little. I walked down the stairs to see Ash sitting on the couch, a bowl of cereal on her lap, and Phineas and Ferb on TV. I knew something was bothering her. She wouldn't look at me when I walked in the room and it was even worse when Scar came in behind me.

"Everything okay, Ash?" Scar asked. He reached out to ruffle her hair but she moved away. Scar looked at me but all I could do was shrug my shoulders.

"What's wrong, Ash?" I asked, hoping that maybe if Scar couldn't get an answer from her, I could.

She sighed and then looked up at me. "Everyone always gets to have sleepovers but I never do!"

I had to hide the smile that was starting to form on my lips. "I'm sorry—"

"I always have to sleep by myself. Seth always gets to sleep with Abby and Scar was sleeping in your room, but I have to sleep by myself," she frowned. I walked over and pulled her into my lap.

"You wanna sleep with me tonight?" I asked.

Ashley looked up with tear soaked eyelashes. "I don't have to sleep in the bed. I can sleep on the floor on a pallet. I just don't want to miss out."

"Okay, how about tonight, I make a pallet and you can sleep next to the bed? Sound good?"

"Will Scar be there too?" she asked, looking over at him.

It was funny that the question of why he was in my bed hadn't come up. She was more upset about not being invited to the slumber party, than the fact that my best friend was now sleeping in my bed with me.

"Sure, kiddo, but only if you help me pick out some cool stuffed animals at the aquarium today. I need to get Liam and the baby a present," Scar smirked and I felt my knees get weak. There was something so sexy about the thought of him buying stuffed animals.

"Yes! I can do that! For sure," Ashley smiled. "I'm going to get dressed right now and we can go." She jumped up from my lap and ran up the stairs leaving Scar and me.

"That was close," he whispered, putting his arm around me. "Crisis averted."

"For now," I said back before placing a small kiss on his lips. For now indeed…

**SCAR'S POV**

I loved laying in bed with Ava in my arms, with the moonlight streaming through her windows and glistening off her dark hair. She really honestly looked like an angel in my arms and I couldn't help but gently kiss her forehead.

As usual, I couldn't sleep. Spring Break had been great in a lot of ways. But, like that really bad rock song says, every rose has its thorn. I loved spending time with Ashley, but in the back of mind, like always, there was that constant reminder of Megan. And as demented as it might sound, I can understand why my Dad would take to drinking. It was a miserable thing to have memories of how wonderful your life had once been, only to wake up and see that your reality is still as fucked up as it ever was. It had been worse for my Dad. He hadn't just lost his daughter, then his wife. He woke up everyday knowing that it wasn't going to be any different than it was the day before, so to hide it, to make it more bearable, he drank. This logic also pissed me off more than ever. I knew he had lost a lot, but the fact of the matter was, I had lost a lot too. I lost my mother, my sister. I needed a father and he wasn't there, and I was left with knowing that I hadn't been enough. I hadn't been enough to make him stop drinking, to make him realize that even though Megan was gone, but I was still here. Slowly, though, that feeling was starting to drift away because when I was with Ava, I was enough. I didn't have to be anything else or need anything else. She loved me simply because I was me. And as Ashley says, "Being me is a wonderful thing to be." I was enough to keep the bad away, but more than anything, I was enough to give her hope, to make her know that things could only get better. Even when the possibly of me imprinting always loomed overhead.

On the upside, though, having Ashley here allowed me to feel like I was making up for time with Megan. Not that I wanted Ashley to be Megan, I just felt a little like Ashley was a second chance. She was bright and bubbly and I was happy to be her brother. She'd been with us for three days and it had been more fun that I remembered. We went to the Space Needle and the Aquarium where she helped me pick out a stuffed otter for Liam, a stuffed seal for the baby, and a stuffed orca that she was currently cuddling on her makeshift bed beside Ava's side of the bed. Like Ava, Ashley made me feel important and I prayed that when everyone found out about us, like I knew they would eventually, Ashley would understand and be okay with it. I couldn't lose another little sister.

I was deep in my thought when I heard my phone vibrate on the table beside me. I had no clue who it could be this late at night, or early in the morning, which ever way you look at it. I picked up the phone to look at the Caller ID: Seth. Great, just what I needed!

"Hello," I answered, trying to sound like I had been fast asleep…in my own bed.

"Scar!" Seth panted into the phone.

"Yep, that's who you called," I said.

"Seth, hurry," I heard Abby say in the background. Seth sounded out of breath and she sounded like she was in pain. This could not be good.

"Just keep holding my hand, Bee, and breathe," Seth said. I had a feeling I knew what he was going to tell me, but I waited just a few more seconds while he breathed into the phone in an interesting pattern. "Just like that, good girl."

"I'm not a fucking dog!" I heard Abby scream.

"Wow," I chuckled. The whole time that I'd known Abby, I very rarely heard her say a curse word. It wasn't who she was. But I guess labor pains can make women do strange things.

"I'm sorry, honey. It just hurts," Abby said in the background, followed by the sounds of muffled crying.

I ran my fingers down Ava's back, knowing that I was probably going to need to wake her up in a minute, especially if Seth was calling for the reason I thought he was calling. "Sorry to interrupt the love fest, but you called me. At one in the morning," I faked a yawn.

"Oh, right," Seth sounded flustered. "I tried to call Ava about ten times but she didn't answer. I was wondering if you could go in and get her up. Abby's water broke and we're headed to the hospital."

"Okay," I shifted Ava in my arms a little, trying to be gentle and not surprise her. "I'll get her up and get Ashley and we'll head that way."

"Thank you, thank you," he said. "Okay, see you in a bit." He hung up before I could even say bye. I knew he had a lot on his mind though, what with having a baby and all.

I looked back down at Ava in my arms and kissed her forehead. I didn't want to jostle her too much or wake her up too suddenly. "Angel," I whispered, rubbing my hands up her arm. "Ava, babe, you gotta wake up."

My brunette angel stirred in my arms and I held her close. "What?" she murmured.

"We gotta get up, Ave," I kissed her forehead again.

She let out a little of a groan and I held back a laugh. "No, I can see that it's still dark outside. You can't fool me, Oscar Monroe," Ava wrapped her arms around me and snuggled into my chest more. I wanted to stay this way. Not just for now, I wanted to stay this way forever. I never felt better than when she was holding me close like this. I knew it sounded girly, but I didn't care. I could spend forever with her just holding me, it's how I felt most loved. Probably even more than any sexual act we shared. Just being like this was enough.

"Well, that may be so, but Seth just called and he and Abby are on the way to the hospital. Apparently your nephew is making an early appearance." Almost as soon as the words were out of my mouth, Ava jumped out of the bed, standing in front of me clad in a spaghetti strap shirt and plaid pajama pants.

"Seriously?" her face showed a mixture of shock and joy while I tried really hard to control the wolf urges my body was feeling.

"Seriously," I answered with a smirk.

Her eyes got wide. "Shit, I gotta get Ashley up. And we need to get dressed, and packed. Shit, shit, shit. This is going to ruin Ashley's birthday. Shit!" I was actually quite surprised that the commotion hadn't woken Ashley up yet.

I sat up, taking a deep breath. "Relax, Ava. Why don't you wake Ash." Ava still stood looking at me like I had a third eye and shook her head. "Yes, and don't worry about Ash. You know this will probably make her birthday. Her nephew will have the same birthday as her."

She looked at me and then sighed. "You're right. You're always right. Why don't I listen to you?"

I gave her my best grin. "I ask myself that everyday. Stick with me, babe, and you can't go wrong."

Ava sauntered back to the bed and crawled up on all fours, leaning in to whisper into my ear.

"Good, because I plan on sticking with you for a very long time." Her hot breath and her sexy words sent a shiver up my spine and a hot surge of blood to my groin.

"I love you," I groaned. Her teeth grabbed my ear lobe and she nibbled and pulled.

"I love you for always," she whispered.

Unfortunately that was all the action I would be getting for the day as she rolled off the bed and hunched down to Ashley, "Sweets, we gotta get up."

I took that as my cue to get ready and rushed to my bedroom to throw on jeans and a t-shirt. I could hear Ashley and Ava talking. I had been right about Ashley, she sounded ecstatic to know that she and the newest Clearwater would likely have the same birthday.

Driving to La Push, or Forks in this case, usually took at least two hours, sometimes longer. This particular night though, I took Ava's keys and managed to make the drive in an hour.  
She told me she didn't want to know how fast I was going but she was thankful I was getting us there faster. I knew she was worried about Abby but also excited about meeting the new baby, plus keeping her calm for Ashley. She was amazing and she was mine.

It was like a scene from a movie as the three of us ran down through the doors to the front desk where the tired nurse directed us to the maternity ward. It shouldn't have surprised us though when the colors on the wall changed to muted blues and pinks and lullaby music filled the air. I had to admit, it must not suck entirely to be a baby.

"Ava! Ashley! Scar!" Leah Clearwater waved to us from a row of chairs in what appeared to be the waiting room.

"How's Abby? Is she okay? Do they know how much longer?" Ava rambled out in one breath.

"Seth said she's been having contractions for about three days now but they didn't come to hospital until her water broke so it's gone fairly quickly," Sue said, holding a sleeping Charlie's hand.

"That's good, right?" I asked. My knowledge of child birth was limited and I really wanted to keep it that way for awhile. Not that I didn't want to have kids, especially knowing Ava would be their mother. I just wasn't quite ready for that big step, hence why we always had a stock of condoms nearby.

"Yes and no. It's going fast now but it's been going on for a days now. And because of her hypertension, she's doing it without an epidural," Sue answered.

"What's an apidutal?" Ashley asked with a scrunched face.

"A shot to help make the baby come out without hurting so much," Leah said and then patted the chair next to her for Ashley to sit on. She shared her party planning catalog with Ash and let her lay her head on her lap to get a few ZZZs while we waited.

"Where's Liam?" I asked, looking at Sue and Leah.

"He's with Ness and Jake," Leah answered before flipping the page on the magazine she was looking at.

I had to say that I felt like Liam was as much my nephew as anyone else's. He was another one of the gifts that came with being a part of Ava's family, and I had to admit that I was pretty stoked about this baby too, anxious to see if I would have the same friendship with it as I did with Liam.

Around six in the morning, after a few hours of waiting, Charlie woke from his nap and took Ashley to the cafeteria for a hot cocoa and coffee. It was just us grown-ups and Ava's head was leaning against my shoulder and I tried really hard not to look at Sue. I knew she could see that something was up. How could I deny Ava my shoulder without Sue Swan suspecting that something very serious was going on?

"You young wolves are so different than the older ones," she said, shaking her head.  
Just as I was about to ask what she meant by that, the large glass doors to the delivery rooms swung open hard. "He's here," Seth said, trying to catch his breath. "He's perfect, ten fingers, ten toes. He looks just like Liam. He's—"

"How's Abby?" Ava interjected.

"She's doing great," Seth said with a proud smile. "She was amazing. They're taking care of a few things and then I'll head back in. You guys should be able to come in soon to see him." Seth was so excited I couldn't do anything but stand and smile. I could see the hint of tears that had developed in his eyes, I could only imagine what this day must feel like. To hold your child in your arms, after waiting so long.

"Congrats, man," I said as I attempted to give Seth a one-armed hug, only to be met with a full on bro-hug in classic Seth style.

"Thank you, Scar," Seth said, releasing me. "Seriously, I owe you, bro." He was grinning as Ashley ran over with Charlie on her heels.

"Is he here? Did I miss it?" she bounced up and down until Seth caught her and pulled her up in a hug.

"He's here and he's so excited to meet his Auntie Ash," Seth chuckled.

Ashley pulled back and looked into Seth's eyes very seriously. "Do you think he'll remember me? From when I talked to him in Abby's belly?"

"I bet so," Seth kept his smile as Ashley looked at me.

"Did you hear that, Scar? He's excited to meet me!" she squealed and I took her from Seth, setting her on the ground. "When do we get to go in?"

"In a little bit. They're taking care of getting Abby cleaned up right now," Seth told her, ruffling her hair.

Ava was standing dangerously close to me and I wondered if Seth noticed. I took a step to the side, trying to put a little distance between us, but I could feel Ava's hand in mine now. This wasn't a good idea, of that I was sure. I hoped that he wouldn't take it as anything other than the times we'd held hands as friends. Seth's eyes wandered down and I almost panicked when they started to meet our interlocked fingers, but Ashley jumped in front of us, right in Seth's view. "Is Liam coming to meet his little brother?"

"Yes, ma'am. I'm going to call Nessie right now and let her know the good news," he said with a sigh. "I should probably head back in with Abby." Seth turned and started to walk away.

"Oh, what's his name?" Sue asked.

Seth turned with a smirk. "You'll find out when the others get here. It's a surprise." He shook his head and continued walking, through the double glass doors and out of our sight.

"I'm going to call Claire," Ava beamed, whipping out her phone.

For the next hour, after the arrival of Claire and Quil, Ava and Claire made the rounds on the wolf-pack phone tree, calling every wolf's wife, girlfriend, fiancée, whatever they may be, to spread the news about the pack's newest member. It was amazing to me how the women of the pack worked like such a well-oiled machine. By the time everyone had been contacted, the Clearwater family was preparing for an enormous amount of visitors, as well as having their refrigerator stocked with various different casseroles and dinners, all courtesy of the various wolf women.

It was times like these I was proud to be a wolf. Sure it was cool to transform into a giant horse-sized wolf, or to be able to fight off the most dangerous of vampires. But the true awesomeness of the wolves, lie in the family we created and belonged to. It was also times like this I thanked the Spirits for giving me the chance to belong to such a unique group. My real family might have been fucked up beyond all repair, but the pack gave me someplace I felt loved, wanted, and most of all, someplace I belonged.

Which was another reason I prayed that when Ava and I went public, they would be accepting. I didn't want to lose the pack, my new family so to speak, but I would if it meant being able to spend forever with my Ava. I might not have had the mystical connection that the wolves had with their imprints, but it didn't mean I loved her any less or felt any less of a connection to her. I wanted their approval, but I wouldn't hesitate to give it up to be with her.

"You look like you're deep in thought," Seth said, from behind me.

"Er, just thinking about the number of diapers a baby must go through in a day," I lied with a chuckle.

"A lot, let's just leave it at that," he joked before looking at the now full waiting room, packed with a few oversized Native American men, women who belonged to the pack in one way or another, and anyone else that had a connection to the Clearwater family. I looked at the crowd to see Nessie sans Jake, Claire and Quil, Sue, who now had Liam on her lap, and Charlie. All the girls minus Kim (who I suspected had already met the baby, up close and personal) and Rachel, who was in Seattle. "Hey guys," Seth said to get everyone's attention. "We're gonna have Liam come in for a minute, then I'll be back out to bring the rest of you in."

The group made a collective affirmation as Liam slid off his grandmother's lap and toddled towards Seth.

"Hi, Daddy," he smiled, showing all of the 14 teeth he had.

"Wanna go meet your baby brother?" Seth asked. Liam nodded his head. "Okay, let me just tell everyone something really quick and then we'll go in, okay?" Liam nodded again, but grabbed Seth's hand tightly. I watched as the little boy was picked up by his father and enveloped in a hug. It was a precious moment that I almost felt was so intimate and important that I shouldn't be allowed to share in it. "Should we tell everyone what the baby's name is?" Seth asked, keeping his tight hold on Liam.

"Yeppers!" Liam grinned.

"Abby and I thought really hard about a name but I'm pretty sure we came up with the best one imaginable for our littlest boy. His name is Cullen Harry Clearwater." It was quiet for a minute before the women started to squeal and Nessie jumped up to hug Seth, without squashing Liam. "He's named for Carlisle and Esme," Seth told her. "But really for your whole family if you get down to it. Your Dad's been one of my best friends and you, you helped me get Abby, when I had no clue what to do. This is just our small way of thanking you guys for everything you've done for us."

I watched as Ava bit her lip, holding back tears, as Nessie let her own tears fall down her cheeks. "I'm honored," she said quietly. "And I know Grandpa and Grandma are going to be ecstatic. Thank you, Seth."

"It's the least we could do," he smiled. "Okay, son, let's get you in to see your little brother." Seth turned and walked out of sight with his little boy in his arms.

I'd been feeling really strange lately with all the expansions of families going on in the pack or with different changes occurring around me. It was necessarily a strange feeling, just a different one. Every baby I saw made me wonder if Ava and I would ever have kids. And if we did, what would they look like, what would we name them, what would happen to them if I imprinted, etc. I knew they'd always be taken care of. I knew that I would fight for them and their mother until the day I died. But I found that the more I thought about that, the more I worried that it might actually happen, the more I was determined to make sure it never happened. I was too selfish to let it happen. I was worse when Ava looked at her new nephew. She couldn't stop smiling as she sat on the corner of the bed with the tiny black haired baby in her arms and Ashley leaning over her shoulder to see him. Abby smiled at them, Seth did too. It was another one of those moments that seemed so special that I didn't deserve to be a part of.

All of this was compounded with the flow of traffic in the room throughout the day. Ava and Ashley stayed close to their sister and the baby while playing with Liam. In the middle of the afternoon, Leah took Liam and Ashley back to Casa de Clearwater. By two, everyone had left but Ava and me.

"Scar, you haven't gotten a chance to hold him," Abby said with a yawn. You could see she was exhausted, what with having a baby and all.

I cleared my throat. "It's okay, really, I've only held a few babies and I find they're a little more fragile than the average human."

"Yes, but he's going to need his Uncle Scar," Abby smiled at me.

Ava scooted off the bed, still holding Cullen, and walked to where I was sitting. "Make a cradle out of your arms," she said. I swallowed hard. This was more terrifying than an army of newborn vampires. I did as she said though. "Just make sure you've got his head."

I swallowed hard again and felt her lower the baby into my arms. His face was scrunched up and really red, with thick black hair on his head. He did look an awful lot like Liam, especially as he tried to fight his way out of his blanket. "Hey Cullen, you gotta stay in the blanket or you'll be cold," I told him. He was so light and precious. I looked at Seth. "I bet Liam was out of his mind ecstatic."

"He was," Seth took a drink from a coffee cup next to him. "He's already planned out their first camping trip and how he's going to introduce him to his Alpha." We all laughed a little at that.

Ava and I stayed until dinner time, when it was time for Abby to breast feed. I'd already been down that road and didn't want to be anywhere near Abby's breast. Not that there was anything wrong with her breasts, it just kind of put me in a weird situation. I handed the baby back to Abby and as I started to pull away, she grabbed my shirt.

"Thank you for being a part of our family, Scar," she said. I couldn't help the emotions that came over me and I leaned down to hug her.

"Thank you for letting me be a part of your family," I said back to her.

I shook Seth's hand and Ava kissed Abby's cheek, then the baby's forehead. "We'll come by in the morning," Ava said.

"Thanks again, guys," Seth said as we edged our way out the door.

Ava stopped just as we crossed the threshold and the door closed behind us. "I hate to leave them," she whispered, dropping her head.

"I know, but we'll be back soon," I told her, pulling her chin up so I could look into her eyes. The green in them looked a little darker than normal. I should've stopped there but I couldn't help myself as I looked her over. Her cheeks were slightly pink, while her lips seemed like the color of cherries. There was so much in that face though, in those eyes, on those lips, so much that I wanted to be a part of. I could see our future, that we might be in this same place someday, holding our newborn baby. We would be the Monroe family and it would be a chance for us to both have what fate had denied us.

I moved a stray hair from her forehead and leaned down to place a kiss on her nose. "Scar…" she said, closing her eyes.

"Shh…" I moved to the left to kiss her cheek, then to the right to kiss the opposite cheek. I was saving the real prize for last and I inched my lips ever so slowly down her jaw. She tasted like vanilla and before I knew what I was doing, I licked her bottom lip to taste her. Ava responded by throwing her arms around my neck and pulling me closer and letting our lips touch slightly, then responding with more urgency.

It was quite possibly the best kiss in the history of kisses. It was so good in fact that as my tongue touched hers, I missed the sound of an opening door. So good that my eyes were closed, my nose enveloped in Ava's scent, keeping me from catching the scent of a fellow wolf. In all honesty, I didn't know anyone was there until I pulled away from the kiss to see Ava's lips swollen and formed in a grin.

I opened my mouth to say something only to be cut off.

"WHAT THE FUCK?"

Apparently it was a rhetorical question because the next thing I knew, a hard fist collided with my jaw and flung me back into the wall. I was more than stunned and I was pretty sure my jaw was broken as I bounced off the wall and onto the hard tile floor.

I opened my eyes to see a bright light and contemplated the possibility that I was in Heaven. That is until the angel that was standing above me started to look less like a harp playing cherub and more like one very pissed off wolf…Seth…Shit.

**Last thing, I promise: The next chapter of Love You For Always will be the last chapter. For real this time. The number of readers and reviewers has gone down and I think it's time. Thank you, thank you!**


	15. The Day Love Didn't Fail

**AN: Stephenie Meyer is still the owner of the **_**Twilight Saga**_**, and all the benefits that come with it. Any characters not found in the published editions belong to Nina or me.**

**Gigantic thank you to Ninadoll! She was incredibly patient with me as I attempted several different drafts of this chapter, not to mention, providing much needed inspiration in the form of Embry and Petra. She is an awesome beta and friend. Please, please check out her stories, including **_**How the Mighty Fall**_**. She has just been featured on Phase Fics, where **_**HTMF**_** was recommended and reviewed by myoung228. Please check it out at www (dot) phasefics (dot) com. Congratulations, Ms. Nina! You deserve it!**

**Also, thank you to my friend, shojioxlow, who is always willing to listen and stick up for me. I'm very lucky to have her!**

**My blog address has changed but the content is the same. You may find it at ****liljenrocksfanfiction (dot) blogspot (dot) com. I've been horrible about updating it, but I promise that is my goal for this week! Thank you! **

**CHAPTER 15: THE DAY LOVE DIDN'T FAIL**

**AVA'S POV**

There's a point at which I have to ask myself if I have "Disaster Magnet" tattooed on my forehead. I mean, honestly. This had been one of the best days of my life. I woke up in the arms of the man I am totally in love with, I held my littlest nephew in my arms, and then, of course, like I always do, I managed to screw it all up.

"Were Seth and Scar fighting?" Abby yelled at me, trying to break free of my hold on unsteady legs. "Ava, let me go! What the hell is going on out there?"

"No, Seth wants me to get you in bed," I groaned. I started to wonder why I was listening to Seth since he was inevitably going to kill Scar.

"Then tell me what's going on!" she yelped. My mind told me just to pick her up and carry her to the bed but I wasn't really in the right state at the time, and in all likelihood, I probably would've ended up hurting her by accident, and then Seth would kill me too. I guess then though at least Scar and I could be together.

"Just stop fighting me and get in bed! Please Abby," I choked. "Seth's probably going to kill Scar and then there won't be any problems."

"What?" Abby gasped. I couldn't look at her or say anything else or even breathe for that matter. She made me give her the summarized version of what happened outside and then, "Give me my phone."

"What?" I asked, looking up at her and seeing her face tight in worry.

"My cell phone. It's in my bag," she said, putting her hands on the bed to steady herself. I worried that she might be in pain but I did as she said and walked around the bed, searching her bag until I found the phone and carried it to her. She punched a few keys and then put it to her ear. "Jake, this is Abby. Jacob, I need your help, please. Seth phased and he and Scar… Yes, in the hospital... Okay, see you in a bit." She hung up and then turned to me. "Can you help me?" she asked softly, reaching for my hand and I grabbed for it, and helped her ease herself into the bed, flinching in pain for a second.

"Sorry, sorry," I apologized tearfully, trying to help but again, failing at that too. I was trying to help her but I was kinda sucking at it at the moment, not entirely my fault since I was a little preoccupied worrying about the love of my life being dragged out of the building by a vicious wolf.

"It's okay, it's not your fault," she smiled while she pulled her blanket up. "But, sweets? Tell me what happened? Please," She patted the spot next to her on the bed.

"Will you be okay if I get on the bed? I won't hurt you, will I?" I asked. Abby had the softest look on her face. Dammit! She'd just given birth less than ten hours ago and she looked so worried. Not about anyone or anything but me. I had missed that. I had missed being able to talk to my big sister. I used to, when we were younger and my parents were alive. She was the one I went to most of the time with my problems. Somewhere along the way, she became the enemy. She was the one that punished me when I screwed up or gave me that look of disappoint. I guess I hadn't given Abby enough credit. I had been trying to do better but I had always felt like I was failing. I got it then, though. She looked at me with love and care and concern. Exactly what I needed at the moment.

"Nope," Abby smiled and opened her arms for me to fall into. I guess the plan that I was going to just sit on the bed was replaced by one where Abby held me in her arms and I thought about the right thing to say.

"Scar and I," I felt a lumpy feeling in my throat and I bit my lip to keep from crying. I was Ava, I didn't cry. Not unless something really horrible happened. This could be horrible though, right? "We've been seeing each other." My eyes betrayed me as the tears rolled down my damn cheeks. Luckily though Abby just rubbed soothing circles on my back.

"How long have you been seeing each other?" she asked softly.

"A few months," I closed my eyes tight hoping that would keep the tears away. It didn't work. "Seth thinks, because we're not imprints that one day Scar will imprint and break my heart." Abby kept holding onto me and rubbing my back. I felt like a child but I didn't plan on letting go anytime soon and from the way my big sister was holding me, I don't think she planned on letting me go either.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked with a voice mixed with hurt and love.

"I wanted to tell you. I wanted to tell everyone. But I knew that when Seth found out he would be pissed. He's warned Scar about this. He's usually so lighthearted but he was so worried that any kind of relationship between us would end badly," I spoke, trying to keep my emotions from making me even more of a blubbering mess.

"He's worried Scar will imprint?" she asked.

"Exactly, and he's worried that it will, I don't know, kill me, break me," I finally let it go and the tears that I'd been holding back finally came out, trickling down my face slowly. "But doesn't he know I'm stronger than that?"

Abby stroked my back. "Of course he does, sweets," she said. "Seth loves you, Ave. He thinks he's saving you from losing your strength."

"But that's ridiculous. I love him, Abby. Not like I love buttercream icing or the way Ashley loves the Disney channel. I love him like real love, like you love Seth. Like Nessie loves Jake, I love him so much that being away from him, physically hurts me. And no matter what I do or where I go, there's no one else that I will love like Scar, and I believe…I know that we belong together," I said. At some point during my rant I'd sat up and I could feel my body shaking as I looked at my older sister. I don't know if I was pumped up or scared that she would think I was being a bit too dramatic, but I knew I believed every word I said.

Abby ran her thumb under my eye to clear my tears. "I know, Ava. I've always known. The way you look at each other. And I trust him, there's not a lot of people I would trust my sisters with. But I trust him with you."

"Then why can't it be okay?" I asked. "Why can't I get my happy ending too?"

She let out a loud sigh, then pulled me back into her arms. "I promise you, I will talk to Seth. I will make him see what I see."

"Thank you, Abby! Thank you!" I held her tightly before realizing that she had just given birth and probably didn't appreciate me pressing into her like I was. "Sorry!"

"It's okay, just not so tight," she said. "I'll talk to him, okay?" I was about to thank her again when a loud "Ahem" interrupted me. "Ladies."

I let go of Abby and sat up to look at Jake who stood in the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest. Some people would've been threatened by that but he had a soft look in his eyes. "Seth'll be here soon as soon as he's dunked his head. He's okay, don't worry. Scar'll be fine too."

"Thank you, Jake," I said. "I'm sorry for causing problems."

He shook his head. "It's okay. Things were a little boring today anyway," he grinned. "I sent Scar to Carlisle and Esme's for the night."

I nodded. "I should probably…before Seth…"

Abby held my hand as I started to get up. "Do me a favor, Ava."

"Yeah?" I asked as I slid off the bed.

She smiled sweetly at me. "Go home. Sleep on it, let me talk to Seth. Things will be different in the morning."  
I nodded and sniffled a little. "Okay," I smiled a watery smile and grabbed my purse before starting to walk out. I turned back around and looked at Abby. She was smiling at me still but I knew she was worried. I could see it even though she tried to hide it. I ran back to her and threw my arms around her in one final hug.

"Love you, Ave," she whispered, not letting me go. "For always and I promise, it's going to be okay." I nodded and kissed her cheek before letting her go and walking out the door, past a leaning Jake.

I walked out the door, not seeing Seth or Scar but hearing howls off in the distance. I thought of the drive up here this morning. Scar and I had been together, holding hands. And of course, it would have to be screwed up, right?

"Will you be okay to drive home, Ava?" Kim asked as I walked past her spot in the Doctors' section. I nodded but suddenly felt like maybe I wasn't okay to drive. I was very close to losing the love of my life and the thought of getting in a car, surrounded by his scent, by his bag of clothes, made me physically ill. "I can take you home and Jared or one of the other guys can bring your car if you want." She said sweetly. I hadn't really talked too much to Kim, the pack and the girls that ran with them were split between the young pups and the old-timers, Jared being in the latter of the two.

I didn't say anything, just nodded and walked to the passenger's side of her mini-van. She unlocked it and I slid into the seat. I had to keep telling myself to breathe, that Abby would talk to Seth, that there was still hope. But seeing Seth so angry, the way he and Scar literally were at each other's throats, made me, well…frightened.

"Do you want to talk about it? I've been told I'm a pretty good listener," Kim turned on the ignition and pulled out of the parking spot and headed towards the main road to LaPush. I didn't say anything, just stared off into space. I wasn't sure I would be able to talk with thoughts of a shredded Scar in my head. "Did you know I was sixteen when Jared imprinted on me?"

I shook my head and looked at her. It was hard to imagine her as a sixteen-year old girl, she was always Dr. Kim Schwieg to me. "It sounds so silly to say but I had been in love with him for years and he never noticed me. Then he's gone from school for two weeks with mono, comes back, and one look at me, and suddenly I'm his reason for existing." She chuckled. "All that time, and nothing. Then he's a wolf, and I'm the world." I wanted to ask her what her point was, seeing as how I was not an imprint and had no chance of ever becoming one. "My point is that I was there, all along. I was just waiting for him. He needed the imprint to see me, to really know me and love me. I think what you and Scar have is very similar to what Jared and I have."

"How?" I choked out feeling my dry throat protest.

"You were always there but he didn't need an imprint to see you. He just knew that you were his destiny. That's better than an imprint, that's true love," she smiled and turned onto the reservation. I kept quiet thinking about what Kim had said. What if in some way, I was always meant for him we just didn't need magic to tell us so?

Kim pulled into the drive way of the house and stopped at the end of the gravel. I reached for the door handle, wanting to just run to my room to crawl in a ball and die. But something stopped and I turned to Kim. "Thank you," I said so soft I wasn't sure it was audible at all.

"You're welcome," Kim said. "One thing you also need to know is that Seth has always been protective of his family, especially the women in his life. They're all he has."

I nodded to her, thinking about the truth in that statement. I had been so angry without thinking about it from every angle, especially the idea that the women in Seth's family were the only thing he knew for certain, he knew he loved them and they knew he would always protect them. Suddenly I groaned realizing I was probably going to have to quit being so pissed off and think about it logically.

The good news was, the house was quiet and I was pretty sure, I had all the time in the world.

**SCAR'S POV**

It was worth it. I was in pain, but it was worth it.

"Ooh, think it's gonna scar?" Sebastian asked, hopping up on the table in Carlisle's study. "Ha ha, Scar would have a giant scar on his ankle. Think of the awesome story you could tell your kids. Fighting for the honor of a chick."

Carlisle poured iodine on already healing wound. "Wow, Seth took quite a bite out of you," he said.

"Is it gonna scar?" Sebastian asked with wide-eyes. He was a strange kid, that one. Most of the time, he got on my nerves and I wanted to hit him. Right now though, you'd think I was Superman or some superhero, the way he was sticking to my side.

"It's pretty clean, but it was a deep bite," Carlisle said just as he wrapped gauze tightly around my ankle. "It will heal quickly, so you won't need stitches, but you might have a slight scar."  
Sebastian jumped up from next to me. "Hot damn! I have to tell Scott!" He shouted before running out the door. I smiled a little to myself at his enthusiasm, though I had to admit, the pain was definitely getting worse. I could practically feel the skin repairing itself and I cringed a little at the visual.

"You know, it's not entirely my place to get involved here, but—" Carlisle shook his head and started putting his medical supplies back into his bag. I watched in facination as he placed all the bloody gauze in a bowl, douse it with something and light a match to it. Honestly, it was the first time since I was a kid that I had had someone other than Seth as my doctor, and it hurt a little to think about the rift that I knew was now between us. He was my brother, one of my best friends, but I was pretty sure his teeth sinking into my ankle was a good indication that it was over. At least he knew now, though. "No, I'm going to go ahead and say it." Carlisle stopped what he was doing and walked to me. "Don't give up on Seth, Scar, not yet. The wounds are still healing, so to speak, give him time."

I scoffed. "Yeah, don't think that's gonna happen. His teeth and paws made it pretty clear that I am shit to him."

Carlisle walked back towards me and offered his hand so that I could slide off the table. My ankle was sore and I flinched when I tried to put my weight on it. I felt myself start to stumble, but Carlisle steadied me. "You're not giving Seth enough credit. Deep down, even when he's angry, he's only reacting this way because his family is the most important thing to him. He's very protective of them." He walked with me towards the den. "Plus, he's seen what can happen to a couple that gets involved without an imprint."

I couldn't help but growl a little under my breath. Up until all the mayhem of this afternoon, I was pretty sure that I was part of Seth's family. Not to mention that what had happened with Leah and Sam, had happened years ago, more than a decade ago, and yet when it came to Ava and me, that was all anyone saw.

"I know what you're thinking," Carlisle brought me out of my thoughts. "You're thinking that you're not Sam and Ava's not Leah, right?"

"Exactly. We're not them. And you know, when Sam and Leah happened, Sam wasn't even a wolf yet. I'm a wolf, I know the risks, but I'm choosing this anyway," I sighed.  
I eased myself onto the couch, still steadying myself, mid-hop with Carlisle. He let out a loud sigh and cocked his head to the side, deep in thought. "Just try to imagine for a moment, if you were Seth in this predicament."

I sat for a minute, trying not to imagine if it were me in Seth's position. Thinking of my sister still hurt and then trying to imagine her, being pursued by one of my friends, did make me kinda understand why Seth would be upset. Then again, there were very few things in this world I was certain of. I had seen pain and death and hurt. I'd seen abandonment and sorrow. Those were things I was certain of, things that I had experienced. But the one thing, more than any of the others, the one thing I knew without a doubt, without a single waver, was that Ava was my soulmate. "There are a thousand reasons why we shouldn't be together, I get that," I said to Carlisle, not meeting his eyes. "But there is one big reason that we should, and that is love. I love her more than I love anything. More than I've ever loved anything. And fate might not have made our connection through an imprint, but I know that fate sent her to me." I started thinking about the person that I had been before I had met Ava. The truth was, I wasn't necessarily a bad person, I just did less than honorable things. "I used to think that being a wolf was what saved me from the misery I was living in. Now I get that it's not. She's the one, Ava's the one that saved me."

I finally looked to Carlisle to see his smile, always kind and compassionate. "I can't argue with that because that's how I've always felt about my Esme. We were both two broken parts that together made a whole. I had Edward, he was my companion and son in every sense of the word, and I do love him. But I never knew how much I was capable of loving until Esme. Hearing her heart struggling to survive, when I saw her, it was almost as if fate had chosen for me to be there, in the morgue that night." He looked off towards the stairs, where I knew Esme was probably waiting for him, probably cursing me for interrupting a perfectly fine evening. "Like you, I had seen my fair share of evil. I never lost faith, but in my existence, it's been easy to doubt. But not when I'm with her though."

"Carlisle," I heard a soft voice say as Esme came down the stairs. He immediately wrapped her up in his arms and it made me want Ava with me so badly.

"You know, we vampires, some of us have gifts. Alice sees the future, Edward reads thought, Jasper knows when we're upset about something without us saying a word. But I've always felt the most important gift, probably the one least appreciated, is Esme's gift. Love," Carlisle looked loving at his wife who leaned forward to kiss him.

"Love is a very powerful thing for sure," Esme whispered.

"So then you have to see my side of this. I can't help what I feel. I can't fight it, I tried, for months, for years and it didn't work," I put my head in my hands.

Carlisle released Esme and walked over to a bookshelf, pulling an old brown book out. He flipped through it as he walked towards me. "I have something here for you," he said as he handed the book to me.

"The Bible?" I asked, looking at him like he had clearly lost his mind.

"Yes, the Bible, whether you are religious or not, you can understand why this particular passage is perfect for your current dilemma," he pointed to a group of words on the page. "1 Corinthians 13:8…_Love never fails._"

I looked at the words and thought carefully about what it said. _Love never fails_. I guess if I could know that if Ava wasn't my imprint, I loved her. I loved her more than I was sure any wolf probably even loved their imprint. Nothing would change that, so we had to succeed because love never fails. I had to believe that, I had to. I looked up at Carlisle and Esme, my emotions clear in my eyes and understandingly, they guided me to the couch and left me to my thoughts.  
I would've loved to take a shower but my ankle put a kink in those plans and I spent almost an hour laying on the couch doing nothing but thinking about my life. Esme and Petra served me banana-pecan pancakes, something that most people might consider a breakfast food but something I could eat 24/7. I'd never had banana pancakes until I met Ava. She told me they were her Dad's favorite and one of the very first things she learned to make when she was growing up. I guess that might be why I like them so much, it makes me feel connected to her and her family. Esme's pancakes were delicious and I knew she put a lot of love into them but they weren't Ava's.

"You have a visitor coming up the porch," Esme smiled as she took my plate and handed me another mug of milk.

I raised one of my eyebrows and sniffed the air…it appeared my shadow was back.  
"Seth and Jake are chatting up Abby. I couldn't hear much but I know that Ava went home," Sebastian said, sitting down next to me and grabbing a large red apple from the tray on the coffee table. "Um, may I?"

Esme nodded with a smile. "Of course, dear."

"Thanks," he responded, taking a big bite out of it. "Anyway, when all this chaos is going on, Quil starts going over in his head about when he Claire first started dating, like officially." He chewed slowly then swallowed. "Anywho, Quil said Claire's parents put like this thing on their relationship where they started limiting the amount of time they got to spend together."

"That's funny, I don't remember that," I rolled my eyes, thinking Sebastian clearly had to be making this up.

"He said her parents were real freaked out by the like intense passion in their relationship," Sebastian took another bite and I chuckled.

"Intense passion?"

"Shut up, that's what Quil said. Anyway, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted. It was right after the big vampire fight, right after that Christmas when I'm guessing things were a little more physical in their relationship. From what I gathered, Quil and Claire were doing it in the office at the paint shop and her Dad almost walked in on them. I guess he knew what they were doing though because he kinda spent like three hours arguing with Claire and Quil," Sebastian said. It was actually quite interesting how much like a gossiping teenage girl he was at the moment. I had forgotten how young he actually was. It made me thankful that we were both wolves now and not with the first pack. The first pack was as young as we were but they didn't have nearly the same choices we did. I knew, in Jake's eyes, that included who we chose to love.

I sighed heavily. "Does this story have a point?"

Sebastian growled under his breath, finishing the apple, core and all, something I found a little strange, but it got him to finish the story so who was I to argue? "He said he would write little love notes to Claire and then have someone else wolf out and deliver them." This started to make sense now. I remembered making a run or two out to the Munholland house to deliver things for Quil. I just never asked what they were. "I was thinkin', if you wanted, you could write a note to Ava and I'd take it to her."

I could text her even now, but writing a note had it's own appeal. "Where is she?" I asked, suddenly feeling the loneliness creep in. It had been months since I'd been without her, slept without her in bed with me, and as ridiculous as it may sound, I missed even her scent, the calming vanilla-rain scent that was all Ava.

"She's at Queso de Clearwater with Leah and the little children," Sebastian answered with a grin.

"Casa de Clearwater, you mean?" I cocked an eyebrow.

"Dude, here I am, being really nice, and trying to help you out, and you keep treating me like an idiot," he said.

I thought for a minute. It really was a nice offer on his part and not something I had thought of. I had agreed to both Jake and Carlisle that I would wait until the morning to go see her, but writing a little letter couldn't hurt, right?

"You wouldn't mind taking it for me?" I asked.

"Nope, as long as you name your first born after me," he chuckled.

"And if it's a girl?"

"Sebastiana, maybe? You've got time to think," he patted my back.

I didn't have to say anything, Esme slid a pen and piece of white copy paper across the coffee table to me. _Love never fails_. She too patted my back as she walked back up the stairs with a sweet smile on her face. It was a motherly smile, the kind I'd gotten from Abby and Nessie. The kind that made me miss my Mom. I thought for a minute about what to say. I needed her to know that none of this changed anything. I didn't care what anyone said, she was the only girl for me.

I took a deep breath and put my pen to paper, trying to find the best ways to tell her. When the first words came out, it was natural and I didn't even have to think. I sealed the letter up in an envelope, then wrote Ava's name neatly on the front. "It's ready," I said towards the den. Sebastian nodded as he took it from me. "Thanks, Sebastian."

"No prob," he grinned. "Kinda makes me feel important, like I'm helping get you together or something. I mean, like the Beatles said, 'all you need is love,' right?"

I watched as he walked out the door and into the darkness of the woods. I knew Ava would still be awake and I knew she'd be worried. I would make this right, completely right with everyone. Because I had every intention of spending every single second of my life with Ava and I would do whatever I had to, to live up to that promise.

**AVA'S POV**

After my talks with both Abby and Kim, I couldn't sleep. I should've been able to. It had been a horribly long day. It wasn't too horrible but it was long. I also knew I needed to rest up to prepare myself for a conversation with Seth the next day. I wasn't as mad at him as I was before. I understood it now. Leah had said that Seth was a protector, and as much as I wanted to scream at him for attacking Scar, I understood it. I knew that instead of being pissed off, I should be grateful to have someone care about me.

I couldn't do anything but go through the motions. I put on pajamas and brushed my teeth, washed my face, all without realizing what I was doing. Even my nightly routine seemed off without Scar with me. I sighed loudly as I pulled back the blanket on my bed. It had been awhile since I'd slept in it but the sheets smelled like lavender and I knew that Abby must have washed them during her nesting stage. It made me smile to think of my older sister going crazy cleaning, only to have everything messed up by a two and an eight-year old. It didn't matter though, Abby probably just smiled and went about cleaning up the messes again.

"Psst…" I heard from my window. "Yo! Ava!" It wasn't a voice I recognized at first and I pulled back the soft blue curtains to see Sebastian Birmingham standing directly in front of my window, in nothing but a pair of cut-off shorts.

"What do you want?" I groaned. "Do you have any idea what time it is?" I pulled open the window and furrowed my brow at him, hoping I was giving him a good 'shame on you' look.

"Yeah, yeah, don't shoot the messenger," he said smoothly as he reached in his pocket and pulled out an envelope. "Special delivery from Senor Scar." He handed the letter to me and I snatched it from him, pulling it to my nose and inhaling hoping to smell Scar. "That's not gonna do any good. It just smells like a vampire goddess."

I giggled at that. "Vampire goddess?"

"Yeah, you know, Carlisle's wife. She gave Scar the paper and envelope."

"And that makes her a goddess?" I asked.

"She looks like one," he shrugged. Sebastian stood for a minute staring at me a little too intensely and I cleared my throat to get his attention. "Anyway, just for the record, I'm rooting for you guys."

"Thanks, Sebastian," I rolled my eyes. I felt bad shooing him away after he had been so nice to bring the message to me. But I wanted to read it and I knew I couldn't do that with him standing there. He ran off and I slid the window close before I sat down in the chair next to my bed. I turned the envelope and ran my fingers over the messy script that spelled my first name on the front. I loved Scar's penmanship. I slid my finger under the seal and slid it down to open it. I took a deep breath and opened it to read.

_Angel,  
I know things have been really crazy today and I know that you probably have a million questions. I can promise you, I'll be there, bright and early in the morning to talk it all out. But I wanted you to know, that no matter what, I love you. You are my imprint. Not because something magical happened, but because we chose each other and nothing will ever, ever change that. Try to get some rest and I can't wait to see you. I expect a big kiss. Good night, my love.  
Your wolf,  
Scar  
P.S. Love never fails.  
P.P.S I'm gonna need you to make sure I don't rag on Sebastian too much. Turns out he's an okay kid.  
_

I crawled into my lonely bed and held the letter close to me. I laid Scar's shirt I'd grabbed from the car and laid it on the pillow next to me. If I couldn't have Scar with me, I could at least have his scent surround me. It was nice but the truth was, it wasn't the real thing. I missed his warm arms around me. I missed the thought of waking up with him next to me. Somehow, though, the thoughts made my eyes heavy and I eventually drifted into dreamland.

The next morning, I was almost positive that I was the first one awake. It was cloudy but I could see a little light through my curtains. It almost pained me to get out of bed until I remembered that I could see Scar today. That made me practically jump out of bed and start skipping down the hall. I looked in all the bedrooms, Ashley snuggled with Sadie at her feet, the door to the guest room where Leah was staying closed, and then I stopped in front of Liam's open bedroom door. Seth was sitting on the bed with his back against the wall, Liam curled up into his chest. Both of their eyes were closed and they both looked so content. My mind drifted to Scar again. I couldn't help but wonder if his dad had held him like that when he was a kid. When we had kids would he hold them like that? I smiled to myself thinking about that, having a family, with Scar.

"There's coffee downstairs if you want some," Seth whispered. I shook my head to put aside the thoughts of the future Monroe family and nodded. "I'll be down in just a sec and I'd like to talk, if that's okay."

"Sure," I answered. I could only imagine what kind of hell was going to rain down on me when Seth confronted me. He didn't seem mad just a second ago but then again he was holding his two-year old son. I tried not to get too discouraged. I was determined to work this out today and I thought long and hard about the exact words to say. I ran through them in my mind as I poured my coffee and topped it off with milk, sugar, and chocolate syrup.

"That's exactly how Abby drinks hers," Seth said, running his hands over his cropped hair and making me jump. "Didn't mean to scare you." He sighed as he walked over to the cupboard and grabbed his own coffee cup.

I swallowed hard. "Did you stay at the hospital last night?"

"Yeah, I just came by this morning to take a shower and change clothes. When I got home, I could hear Liam tossing and turning in there so I went to check on him," he said while he took a sip from his mug. "I know he knows things are going to change later when the baby comes home and I want him to know that this doesn't change anything. He'll still be as loved as he was before, maybe even more with a little brother who'll look up to him."

"Do you worry about, I don't know, not feeling as close to him because you weren't there when he was born?" I spilt out before I slapped my hand over my mouth. This was kind of uncharted territory or no man's land with Seth. He didn't like to be reminded that he missed Liam's birth or Abby's first pregnancy. Pretty much that whole time was considered undiscussable.

"Honestly?" he asked and I nodded. "I would never tell Abby but I was worried, when I felt the baby move inside her the first time. I worried that some how I'd feel more…linked or connected to Cullen. But the next morning, Liam came running in and jumped up onto my chest and said 'Wuv you, Daddy.' I knew then that I wouldn't love Cullen more. I would love him differently, but never more. They're my sons and they both make me happy and proud." He had the classic "Seth-grin" on his face. It was contagious and I soon found my pearly-whites exposed.

"You're a good dad, Seth," I said honestly.

Seth took a deep breath again and hung his head. He stared at his coffee, then looked up at me. "But I've been a shitty brother in the last twenty-four hours."

"Listen, I'm—"

"No, I have been. I've been worrying all this time about something happening and you ending up like Leah was for so long. I remember my big sister before Sam and I missed her for a long time. I thought I was protecting you from suffering the same fate."

"You don't have to—"

"Then I realized that you're not Leah and Scar's not Sam," he looked straight in my eyes. "You know Jake's theory on imprinting?"

"Yes," I answered.

"I don't think I truly got it until I thought about you two, and as much as it pains me to say it, I'm kinda jealous of you two," Seth chuckled. "No tricks of fate, you two found each other on your own. Why couldn't I do that?" I smiled as he took a deep breath. "I like to think that somehow Abby and I would've eventually found each other but I realize that I'd be a hypocrite to tell you that you can't be together."

"How do you mean?" I asked, cocking my head to the side.

"Well, how can I say that I would love Abby without an imprint but then question that Scar could do the same?" he said. "The thing is, I was a little selfish too." Seth cleared his throat. "I've kinda thought of you as my sister since Abby and I have been together. I've been responsible for helping make sure you're protected and loved. But that's not my job anymore and it makes me a little sad to think about."

"Seth," I smiled widely.

"If you truly love him, can't live without him, I won't stand in your way," he sighed. "You have my blessing."

I walked towards where he was standing by the sink. I didn't even think as I wrapped my arms tightly around him. "Thank you, Seth," I rose on my tiptoes to kiss his cheek. I was more giddy than I could imagine.

"Just so long as you know that if he does ever imprint, you will always have a home with the pack and with Abby and me," he smiled. "Now, go call him so he can come over and I can get this over with," Seth chuckled.

I hopped towards the doorway and stopped. "For the record, Seth. You are the best brother, ever. And I'm glad to have you to protect and love me." I hopped away before I saw his face but I knew he was probably smiling. I hoped he was.

I practically skipped and hopped all the way down the hall back to my bedroom to get my phone. I decided instead of calling, I'd text him, ask him to come over because I wanted to see his face and hear his voice when I told him we could be together.

_Can you come over?_ I texted and hit send.

It seemed like forever before I got a response. In reality it was less than a minute but it seemed longer.

_Will I get to keep my testicles if I do?_ Scar texted back and I choked back a chuckle.

_I hope so, I have plans for them for awhile,_ I giggled to myself. No more than five minutes after I hit send, there was a soft knock on the front door. I started to run to get it but Seth beat me to it and I tried to listened as Seth apologized to Scar for the way he reacted.

"We shouldn't have hidden it from you either. We should've been honest and straightforward," Scar said to him.

"That shows me that you're being mature about this and lets me know that you have every intention of being honorable in this, right?" Seth asked.

"Of course. I'm in this for the long haul, Seth. If I have it my way, someday, Ava will be my wife, we'll have a family," Scar answered as I crept closer to the door. "This is not temporary."  
I saw Seth nod and put his hand out for Scar to shake. Scar waved it off and instead did something very typically Seth. He pulled him into a bro-hug and they both chuckled as they patted each other on the back. "I think there's a spy in our presence," Seth kept chuckling as I made my way out of the shadows.

He moved away and I swear it was like a freakin' movie, the light coming in from behind the door, creating this angelic haze around Scar. "Hi," he said softly. I couldn't move, my eyes were locked with his and I started to feel all the emotions of the last twenty-four hours. Instead of just calmly walking to him, I ran the short distance and jumped in his arms, wrapping my legs around his waist and holding him so tight I was sure a normal human would've passed out. "It's okay, Angel. I'm not going anywhere."

"Good," I said, keeping my grip on him.

"We're together, okay? Forever," he whispered to me.

We were together. We were happy, we weren't a secret anymore. And for the first time in my life, it was like all the weight of everything bad that had happened to me was slowly lifting off of me. I felt whole, complete. There was no longing like there had been before Scar, no guilt like there had been before everyone knew, there was only hope.

I thought about what Scar had written in the letter, in the P.S. _Love never fails_. It was true, I could feel it in my heart. No matter what the future held, love would never fail us.


	16. Big Days

**AN: I own nothing! Everything in here belongs to Mrs. Meyer or Ninadoll. **

**A huge, huge, huge thank you to Ninadoll! She was so patient with me on this chapter and kept encouraging. It took me forever to write and she helped push me through the writer's block. She is an awesome beta, writer, and friend. You rock, Nina! Please check out her stories **_**Rest of Forever, How Wonderful Life Is Now In You're the World, **_**and **_**How the Mighty Fall**_**. You will not be disappointed and will smile, laugh, and cry! She is awesome!**

**Another huge thank you to my friend, shojioxlow. We need AP's to be the Drink of the Month, ASAP! Thank you for sticking by me!**

**Thank you to all of the readers and reviews for being so patient! School is out now so hopefully I'll be able to write a little more and get chapters out quicker. Ava and Scar have a lot left to figure out so their story isn't finished yet! Also check out Quil and Claire's story, **_**Love You Madly**_**.**

**Pictures and such are available on my blog liljenrocksfanfiction(dot)blogspot(dot)com. Thank you guys!**

**CHAPTER 16: A BIG DAY**

**SCAR'S POV**

I woke up before the alarm. I couldn't help it. Today was a big day and the last thing on my mind was sleep. The sun wasn't even out yet and I was enjoying the warmth of being in bed with Ava, even though I had a billion things I needed to do before our busy day. Her head lay against my bare chest and I ran my fingers through her hair. It felt better than silk and the soft vanilla scent calmed my nerves a little.

It had been a little more than three years since Ava and I had officially debuted as a couple. In that time, we'd really made a life with each other. We lived together, Ava had finished her program and I was nearing graduation, and now it was time to make plans for the future.

"Do we need to get up?" Ava asked. I could hear a bit of dread in her voice but I decided not to say anything.

I wrapped my arms tighter around her. "We have a few minutes," I kissed her hair and thought about how perfect it felt holding her like this.

"I don't want to be late," she said but her fingers tickled across my stomach.

"We won't be," I kissed her hair again, then her forehead. I felt her relax in my arms and before I knew it, she was asleep again and I was left to my thoughts.

This morning/afternoon we were meeting Paul and Rachel for brunch. They were coming without their boys too. That meant business. Paul and I had become pretty close and I trusted him. I also knew that Jake knew that. I had a feeling brunch today would be the day Paul and I talked specifics, something I was a little scared of honestly. I knew I had to go back to La Push. I had a job there, at Shipo. My dad was there and while I was grateful to Nessie and Abby for taking care of him, I knew that he needed me to be there for him. I wasn't sure if Ava would want to go with me and I wasn't sure that I could be so selfish to make her leave her job as a pastry chef in a very chic, five star hotel in downtown Seattle to return to a Podunk town in the middle of Washington. I loved her too much to do that. So we had both been living in denial. I didn't bring it up and neither did she.

The time seemed to go by fast and I woke Ava about an hour later so that we could start getting ready. I knew I was wearing navy slacks and a light blue shirt sans tie. The problem was that after Ava had showered and done her hair and her makeup, she was faced with the challenge that plagued her whenever we went out. What would she wear? She literally tried on four different dresses. She put each on and then came to me in a sort of catwalk fashion show. With each dress I would tell her how beautiful she looked, only to have her shake her head and try on the next dress. The winner of the fashion lottery was a black and white floral print dress that she'd worn for dinner one night with Quil and Claire.

She looked breathtaking. Her hair was up, her make up was perfect, she was perfect. I don't think she realized how perfect she was though because the moment we walked into the restaurant and she caught eye of our dining partners, she stopped.

"Look at Rachel," Ava said as we walked towards the table and I could hear the nervousness in her voice. "She looks so beautiful and she has such a great sense of style. I'm so envious, hell, any woman would be envious. Her dress makes mine look like something from a thrift store. I'll never be able to be that for you."

I stopped her as we got closer. I leaned over and kissed her cheek. "You're already perfect for me." I could see her smile and that made my insides melt a little.

"Five minutes late? I hope you know when you're working in the engine department you can't be late," Paul said with a serious voice.

"Leave them alone, Winters," Rachel slapped him across the chest playfully. Rachel moved from her chair and met Ava, putting her arm around her in a hug. "Everything okay?" she asked.

"Yes, I just had some problems finding the right dress," Ava answered. I pulled her chair out for her and waited for her to take her seat.

"We were just going to order some mimosas," Rachel said. She motioned for a waiter and then ordered the drinks for us.

"Your dress is beautiful," Ava said as we looked over the menu. I wouldn't deny that Rachel did looked hot. She always did but she wasn't Ava. No one else on Earth was Ava. That's why I knew I'd never imprint. She was made for me and I for her.

"Thank you, Dolce and Gabana," she smiled. "You know, you and I are about the same size. I just did a little Spring cleaning. You should come over and look and see if there's anything that tickles your fancy." I could see Ava's mood ease with that and she smiled.

"Really?" Ava asked.

"Yes, ma'am. I have the perfect blue Calvin Klein dress that would gorgeous on you," she answered. The waiter came with orange juice and began filling our glasses.

Paul leaned over close to Rachel's ear and I hear him whisper, "Just don't give away that leopard print teddy. You know it's my favorite." I had to keep from breaking out into laughter when I noticed that Ava blushed too. Apparently Paul hadn't been as quiet as he thought.

Paul took Rachel's hand kissed it. He had a smile that I knew he only got when he was with Rachel. She smiled back and leaned over to kiss Paul's cheek. It made me a little jealous. They had what every other wolf I looked up to had. They were both successful in their careers, were as in love as they had been when they first fell in love, and they had children that they loved. That's what I wanted for Ava and I. I couldn't wait for the day that we would be husband and wife, with our own little ones. I knew that starting my engineering career at Shipo was the first step in getting there. I grabbed Ava's hand under the table and gave it a squeeze.

"Hey Chef, what is a grill-ade?" Paul asked.

"Um, it's a Creole dish that's like pot roast but it's made out of veal." That was my girl!

"Baby cow?" he asked with a bit of disgust on his face.

She nodded. "Baby cow."

"Well, I may be a jerk sometimes, but even I won't eat baby cow. Next," he said before he flipped the page on the menu. I squeezed her hand again and smiled with a nod. I hoped that she could see how extremely proud I was to be with her, how extremely proud I was of her.  
The waiter came back and took our orders. There was no mention of business yet, even as we snacked on our appetizer fruit trays and muffins. Paul talked to Ava about how things were in the hotel restaurant business. It worried me, as I listened. She sounded so happy about her job and I wasn't sure what this meeting was going to do to that. I was a little relieved when Ava changed the subject and asked Rachel about the boys. I also was a little proud. I knew it was a long ways off but I had no doubt that Ava would be a great mother. She loved her nephews so much, as well as the Winters boys. I couldn't wait to share that experience with her too.

"Okay, well now, let's get down to business," Paul rubbed his hands together and then leaned down and then pulled a small stack of papers out just after the waiter had taken the last plate from table. "So, let's take a look at the contracts I've brought. We've already agreed that the best place we see you right now is in the Forks branch. I know you and Jake talked out some of the specifics. You'll be working in the engine design department. The question is, how soon after graduation will you be going back for Forks?"

I could feel Ava shifting next to me. "Um, I haven't thought about that yet," I struggled to get the words out.

Ava's dropped my hand and pushed her chair back. "If you'll excuse me," she got up quickly and when I grabbed for her hand she shook it off. She huffed and trotted off towards the bathroom.

"Shit," I groaned.

"What just happened?" Rachel asked. I didn't say anything but I dropped my head in my hands. Why had I been so stupid?

"Wait, please tell me you guys had discussed this already?" Paul asked.

"No," I sighed.

Both Rachel and Paul sighed too and looked at me. "I'll go talk to her," Rachel pushed her chair back and followed the same path Ava had taken to the bathroom.

"Man, you fucked this up," Paul chuckled. "You're totally in the doghouse." I guess Paul must have seen though that I wasn't laughing or even showing any sign of anything that could be jovial. "What happened, man?"

I knew that even though Paul was crude and loud and goofy around the wolves, he was devoted to his wife and kids. I could trust him with this. Where Seth was like my older brother, Paul was like that cool friend of your older brother that helps you get into trouble. Or in this case listens to you while you spill your guts. I told him everything. I told him about how I was afraid of rejection but also that I was afraid I would take her back to Forks only to have her live her life thinking about what she might have been if she had stayed in Seattle. "Tell me something," Paul said. "What are your plans?"

I didn't even have to think. I knew exactly what I wanted. "Forever," I said. "I want forever with her. I want her to be my wife, to be the mother of my children. I want to her to be there when I take my last breath."

"So what's stopping you from telling her that?" Paul asked. He was right. Why hadn't I made a bigger effort to tell her exactly what I wanted? I think I'd become complacent in our life and hadn't really wanted to think about anything that might jeopardize the relationship we had now. "Let me tell you a secret, women don't like being left in the dark. If you want a life with her, you can't just assume she knows that. And trust me, that girl's got it bad for you. You're probably more in love than any unimprinted couple I've ever seen."

"She has a job here, we have friends here, how can I ask her to give that all up to go back to La Push with me?" I asked and shook my head. "You know what that's like. You got out of there."

"I did but I got out of there to make myself someone that Rachel could be proud of. You are going back for the same exact reason," he took a sip of the coffee that the waiter had placed in front of him. "I'm telling you right now, though, you need to talk to her. It would be a pretty dumbass move for you to just fuck everything up because of what you 'think' might happen."

He had a great point there. It was just easier to run through the worst-case scenarios in my head than to actually talk it out. I guess that's because, in my life, that's how everyone did everything. My mom didn't want to talk stuff out with my Dad, so she just left. My dad didn't want to deal with all the shit that had been handed his way so he drank. There was never any compromise or conversation. Those were foreign to me. Which sucked because I knew that in Ava's family, other than Abby's seven months in Oklahoma, they generally talked things out, even more so now that Seth was in the mix. I would have to listen to Paul and take a page from the O'Brien/Clearwater family handbook, buck up, and tell Ava that I wanted her with me more than anything in the world.

That is if she ever came out of the bathroom.

"Sir," the waiter sat the check next to Paul. I watched him pull his wallet out of his back pocket. He placed a platinum colored credit card down. It was imprinted with his name and Shipo in silver letters underneath it. I wondered if I'd be strong enough to work my way up to corporate credit card material.

"Assuming that you guys get this figured out, when are you going to head back to Forks?"

I thought for a minute. "A week after graduation. That's three weeks from now. Will that be plenty of time for someone to come in and take my place in the showroom?"

He nodded. "We'll worry about that, Scar. You just worry about getting everything situated with Ava and getting back to Forks." Paul flipped through the pages of the contract he had in front of him, then pulled a heavy silver pen from his briefcase. He wrote something on a blank line and then slid them to me with a grin. "I added in your start date, then all that we need is your John Hancock and you'll officially be on your way."

I picked up the pen. I really wanted Ava to be here when I did this. She was my soulmate, my partner, and I needed her here, not just for support but because this was her life too. I clicked the pen and looked at the line where I was supposed to sign.

"Sorry, boys," Rachel's voice brought me out of my daze.

I looked up to see Ava's tearstained face. I knew that wasn't a good sign. Ava didn't cry often and I couldn't stand the pain her whole face showed when she did. It was like a sucker punch to the gut. I stood though as both she and Rachel took their chairs again. I sat as they did but when I reached for Ava's hand, she jerked it away quickly. That was like a second sucker punch to the gut.

I wasn't sure what to do. I wanted to get down on my knees and tell her I was sorry, that I needed her to be with me now because this was going to be a huge step in our life together but she wouldn't even look in my direction. I sighed and put the pen to the paper to sign my name. _Oscar A. Monroe_.

"Alright," Paul took the papers and signed his name on the spot reserved for him. "I'm going to get these papers to legal first thing in the morning and you can start packing." He put his hand out for me to shake and I took it even though I could hear Ava growl next to me.

Rachel wrapped her arm around Ava as we all walked out together. "Remember what we talked about, okay?" Rachel hugged her as we got to the VW.

"I will. Thank you," she answered in a weak voice as she slid in the passenger's seat.

"Good luck," Paul said with a grin as he slapped me on the back gently. "You'll be okay, I know it."

Rachel moved towards me and enveloped me in a hug. "Take care of her, Scar. She's tough but she's fragile too. She needs to know what you want from her."

"I will," I answered. I got in the driver's seat and shut the door. You could practically cut the tension with a knife and I went to grab Ava's hand again but she jerked it away…again. It was silent in the car the whole way home. I knew that Ava was mad, I could practically feel her fuming. Her arms were across her chest. I knew this was bad. We didn't fight a lot but when we did it was for good reason and it was usually pretty heated. I pulled her Volkswagen into our spot and turned the car off.

"Ava, I—" my words were met with the slamming of Ava's car door. Yeah, this wasn't going to be easy.

I got out of the car and followed her to the condo. She reached the gate first and was sure to slam it in my face too, as well as the front door. I was not going to concede defeat though and I just nonchalantly opened the doors without making a scene. I continued following until she got to the bedroom door.

"Stop following me! I don't want to see you right now!" she said without facing me.

"We need to talk, Ava. I'm—"

"Don't you even fucking say you're sorry, Oscar!" I knew I was in trouble when she called me Oscar. She only did that when I had screwed up majorly. "I'm going to take a nice long bath. By myself. When I get out, if, it's a big if, I'm in the mood, I might listen to whatever pathetic excuse you have for shutting me out of your life!"

"It's not like—"

"No! Stop talking," this time she spun on her heels and gave me a glare that I swear could peel paint off a building. "I don't want to hear you right now."

I furrowed my brow and felt a tight frown forming. I felt a little like a child being reprimanded. My heart sunk as I nodded to her. She turned back to the bathroom, putting another barrier between us by shutting the door. I walked up to the wood that separated us and leaned in. "Angel, I know you don't want to hear me, but I won't let you forget that I love you and nothing will ever change that." I thought I heard either a sniffle or a huff from the other side. Knowing my badass Ava, it was probably a huff.

I decided to change clothes while I waited and slid on a pair of jeans and an old AC/DC t-shirt Ava had stolen from Seth. She always said she liked when I wore it because it hugged my muscles and I could only hope that would play to my advantage today when she came out of the bathroom. I plopped myself down on our bed. _What if she kicked me out of the bed tonight? Neither one of us ever slept well without the other. Fuck! This was a huge fuck-up on my part!_

I leaned my head back against the pillows on the bed and closed my eyes. I don't know how long I laid there but I snapped to attention when I heard the turn of the bathroom door knob. Ava strutted out, wrapped only in a towel. I decided to let her get dressed before I tried to start a conversation with her. She walked to dresser and pulled out clothes to put on but nothing else on her face changed as she dropped the towel and then teased me by very slowly getting dressed.

"I'm sorry I reacted like I did," Ava said suddenly.

"No," I started to think of everything to say to her but she interrupted me again.

"No, I really shouldn't have, it's just…" she walked towards me and sat on the bed next to me. "I have to tell you the reason why I acted like that. Scar, I love you," she swallowed and I started to get a little frightened. "I thought…I thought what we had was forever."

"It is, Ava. Why would you think anything different?" I asked. I had to resist the urge to pull her into my arms that second because I didn't want to keep her from talking to me.

"You've made all these plans without me," she said softly. "I just thought…It sounds stupid."

I shook my head and this time, I didn't resist. I put my arms around her and pulled her into my lap. "No, tell me what you're thinking."

Ava laid her head on my chest and took a deep breath. "I thought that we'd get married someday, have little baby wolves. I want that with you, Scar. I see that with you."

I rubbed my hand down her arms and felt her frustration lessen. "You don't think that's what I want?"

"You never asked. You never even said a word about going back home," she was getting angry again and I had to keep my own emotions in check to keep from snapping back. How could she not know that she was the center of my existence?

"I was afraid, Ava. You are everything to me. Do you know what it would have done to me if you decided that your job, your life here in Seattle was more important than me?" I said, as calmly as possible.

Ava shook her head. "You should've known that you're everything to me. My place is with you. Wherever you go, I go. We're a package deal, Scar."

"But what about everything here?"

"What about it? If we're going to build our life together, I want to do it with the people we love. I can get a job somewhere in Forks and if push comes to shove, I'll work with Aunt Tess," Ava said. "I'm with you for as long as you'll have me."

"Then we're going to be together for a long time," I said. Which was true.

"Or until you im—" I put my finger over her lips to silence her. I didn't want to hear that word. There was no imprint for me. Only Ava.

I held Ava in my arms and could almost feel the tension in the air dissipate. I closed my eyes and ran my fingers through her hair while I rubbed my nose to hers. "Where will we live?" I asked as quietly as I could but loud enough for her to hear. I didn't want to let go of her or feel the connection between us end in any way.

"Together," she said, equally as quietly. "We'll have to talk to Abby and Seth though. I don't know how how pleased they'll be with the idea but this Is what I want." I couldn't help the hope that welled in my chest. "Only if that's what you want too though."

"Of course it is, Ava. I've told you before, this," I picked up her hand and held it to much chest. "You and me, this is forever."

Ava looked at me then put her head on my chest again. "That's what I want too, Scar." I leaned back on the bed and kept her on top of me. She turned a little so that her knees were on either side of me. I swung my legs up on the bed. Ava pushed herself up so she was hovering over me but still close against me. "I love you," she whispered as her lips touched mine.

"I love you too." I hated when we fought but I loved to make up. We spent the rest of the day "making up." It was the best way I could think of spending a Sunday afternoon. Unfortunately, that night, Ava insisted we call Abby and Seth. She refused to tell them our plans over the phone, which was probably a good idea since we really didn't know anything other than that we were moving back together. I wasn't sure how they would react to that. We made plans to go to La Push the next Saturday to visit them and tell them our plans for our future together.

Unbeknownst to me, during the week, Ava started her quest for a new place to hang her spatula. This was the item on the list that made me the most nervous. So imagine my surprise when she came home on Wednesday, ran through the door, jumped into my arms, and wrapped herself around me with a squeal. "I got a job interview! I got a job interview!"

"What?" I asked as she pressed a huge sloppy kiss on my lips.

"I have an interview!" she kissed me again. "In Forks!"

I wrapped my arms around her and squeezed her. "Where, Angel, where?" I asked, probably a little more giddy than a man should be.

"You know the caterer that Jake and Nessie use for all their events?" she asked me. I nodded. "He gave me his card awhile back and told me to give him a call if I ever headed back to Forks. I called him this afternoon and we set up an interview! I have to go to the catering kitchen on Saturday and make five different dishes. I'm talking appetizer, soup, salad, entrée, and dessert!" She said it all in one long, rushed breath. "It's really happening, we're really going to start our life together."

"We are," I smiled, leaning into kiss her. "We have to celebrate."

"What? Are you kidding? I have a menu to plan and recipes to dig out! And I need you to be my guinea pig, of course!"

I hugged her tighter to me and realized something. I may not have gotten an imprint sign from the Spirits that Ava was my soulmate, but somewhere, somehow, someone was making sure we were together. I didn't know if it was God, or her parents, or maybe even Megan. All I knew was that more than ever, I truly felt like someone was looking out for me. As I held Ava in my arms, swaying back and forth to a silent rhythm, I didn't mind that there would probably be challenges ahead of us, that life would most likely throw us some curveballs. We were together, forever. And as soon as I could afford it, I would truly make her mine.

First though, I had to prepare myself for a visit to Seth and Abby's. That should be interesting.

**AVA'S POV**

I woke up before the alarm. I couldn't help it. Today was a big day and the last thing on my mind was sleep. I looked around the room at the bare spots on the walls where the pictures had only recently been taken down. Other things stayed the same. The bed was staying, the desk too. Seth said any wolves who might find their way to school or work in Seattle would always have the option of staying here.

In the three years that Scar and I had been an official couple, there was something about watching him sleep that never got old. It may have been bad of me, but I knew that my nephews had inherited Seth's sleep habits and I often found myself wondering if Scar and I had kids, if they would pick up his sleep style, which consisted of laying on his stomach with his arms wherever they may land. Usually they landed somewhere on me and I was okay with that.

"Are you awake?" he grumbled without looking at me or moving for that matter.

"Yes," I answered flatly. "You can go back to sleep, Scar. It's still pretty early."

"Having trouble sleeping?" Scar rolled slightly so that he was on his side, looking at me. He pulled me closer to him and as usual I felt myself melt into him.

"It's nothing," I lied.

He knew me better than that though. "It's not nothing. I can feel how tense you are, Angel." He slid his warm hand over the bare skin that peeked out from my tank top. I could feel my stress slowly ease up. It wasn't gone but feeling this close to him made it a little better. "Are you regretting our decision?"  
I closed my eyes hard. I wasn't regretting our decision at all but I was slightly nervous. This place, our condo, had been such a large part of our relationship and maybe it was a little superstitious of me to think that things would be different when we weren't here, in this place, that had been our home for so long. "Never, Scar," I turned my head to look at him. "I'm just worried about what it's going to be like when it's not just you and I together, alone, when it's all the family and crazy best friends, and..." I sighed then.

Scar leaned up on his elbow so that he was hovering almost directly above me. "You know, I was a little worried about that too. But then I started thinking about how important our families and friends are to our relationship. Essentially without them, there'd be no us, right? As long as we're together, no matter who's there with us, as long as you're by my side, I know we're going to be okay. It's going to take some getting used to for sure. We have privacy here, we can truly just be us. That's going to change but not much. I promise."

That made me feel a bit better. Sometimes, I think I just needed to hear Scar say something for it to sink into my thick skull. "You're right," I whispered.

"You and me, kid," the right corner of his mouth twisted into a smile.

I thought of how right it felt for him to say that. I knew that there weren't a lot of people left on earth that Scar trusted. But he loved and trusted me and there were times when he was the only one that could calm me down and keep me from going postal on someone's ass or from having a nervous breakdown. Like the day we told Abby and Seth about our plans to move back to Forks together. Abby was excited about it. I knew she wanted me closer and she loved Scar. Ironically, it was Seth that wasn't too happy. As much as I knew he accepted our relationship and he was happy for me, as a wolf, in the back of his mind, the prospect of Scar imprinting was always there.

_"Are you going to get married?" he asked as we sat at their kitchen table, eating a fresh batch of Napoleons I had made, knowing they were Seth's favorite and hoping that they might sugarcoat the blow.  
_

_I almost choked on my coffee but Scar, ever calm and ever ready to face any adversity our relationship might face, was Johnny-on-the-spot. "Eventually, yes, that's the plan," he answered Seth.  
_

_"Why not now?" Seth furrowed his brow and kicked the overprotective brother mode into high gear._

_Scar again was cool as a cucumber. "Ava deserves to have a beautiful ring, a big wedding, a nice home. Right now we're not in the place financially to do that. We're both starting new jobs and we have some money saved, but I want to do this right." As if any of those things mattered to me. "I grew up poor, Seth. I know what kind of life that is and I like to think that Jake and you older wolves don't want me to ever have to go through that again. That's why you all made such an effort to get me through school. So when I do this, I'm doing it all out."_

I gripped his hand under the table but I could tell by the way Seth turned to look at a smiling Abby that we had won. After that we got in contact with Claire's big sister and things were rolling along. We looked at three houses before we found a bungalow that fit us. One bedroom, one bath but it was open and a mix between modern and vintage. It was exactly what we were looking for and it was ours.  
Today we were moving into that house. We'd packed boxes and Abby and Seth were coming today to help us.

I could feel a change in the air the moment Seth's Range Rover and Abby's Audi pulled up. Quil and Claire were behind them in his 4-door Jeep. I knew it wouldn't take all of those cars, plus my Bug and Scar's bike to get back to Forks, but it made me feel special to have so much help.

"This is going to be fucking fantastic!" Claire threw her arms around me the moment I opened the door. I noticed as she pulled away that she didn't look like herself. Her normal fun clothes were replaced with a large Forks High hoodie and loose Capri pants. Her face was pale and her hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail. This was not the normal Claire, even the normal lounging Claire.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"I'm fine," she said nonchalantly and passed by me to get into the condo. "Let's get this show on the road!"

It didn't even take five hours to pack up four years of our life together. I guess part of that life was staying but regardless, there was so much more than material items that couldn't be put into any box.  
"Five more boxes," Scar smiled as he heaved a large cardboard cube filled with miscellaneous pictures onto his shoulder. I was sitting on the floor in the kitchen, making sure I'd gotten ever single last cooking utensil out of the drawers and doors. .After a grueling interview process, I'd gotten a job at the catering company Ness and Jake used for most of their get togethers and I knew I was going to need every single weapon in my arsenal to be successful. While part of me swallowed hard at the realization, another part of me warmed a little at seeing Scar so excited.

After the last box was put into the cars, Scar held my hand as he locked the place up one last time. "Thanks for all the memories," I whispered as I touched the doorpost.

Scar turned towards me and pulled me into his arms. "Don't worry, Ave. We have lot more memories to make." I looked into his large brown eyes and felt a tug at my heart while I nodded. I knew now why Scar wasn't as worried about moving as I was. Seeing him in front of me like this, he wasn't afraid or sad because he knew we had a wonderful future in front of us.

"Thank you," I said to him as he held me tighter and kissed my nose. With one last look, we shut the gate behind us and walked into the next stage of our life via a caravan of cars headed to Forks. The trip seemed to take forever and yet pass quickly at the same time. And after a stop at Starbucks, we finally arrived, each one of us piling out of our cars.

"That is one green house," Seth laughed, getting out his car.

"Leave them alone, Seth. I think it's cozy," Abby said.

It was a cozy house, painted a beautiful bright green with denim blue stairs and cream colored columns, all accented by a red door. It doesn't sound like much but it was perfect. We started unloading boxes from the cars while Calista looked over paperwork.

"You guys are coming to Billy's birthday bonfire tonight, right?" Claire asked from her seat on the front porch, watching everyone else carry the boxes. I knew it was Billy Black's birthday but damn if I knew there was a party tonight. "You have to come! It's not a pack thing, so lots of people will be there. Petra and Embry are going to be there. Ness and Jake are going to be there and Ness is so pregnant she might actually have her baby on the beach! Can you imagine?"

I sighed loudly but knew I would end up going. The pack was family and I loved my family. Even though I knew that I'd probably be exhausted after a long day of travel and moving. I decided it didn't matter, I was going to the bonfire. It was a little like a welcome home party, knowing I'd be surrounded by family and friends.

I put the party out of my head for a bit and decided to help unload the cars. It was a little like a well-oiled machine the way we moved the boxes out of vehicles and into the house. Granted we did have several muscular wolves helping, it was still quite amazing. Calista left the lease papers for us to sign and after only two hours, every last box and every last piece of furniture was in the house. We said goodbye to the Clearwaters and Atearas as they headed to their homes to prepare for the party and while I wanted to start unpacking, I thought it wouldn't hurt to just rest for a minute. Sometime during that time, I decided to look over the lease papers and perhaps go ahead and sign them. I flipped through them casually and dug in my purse for a pen. Before I could even get through the first page, I noticed something was off. Everything had my name on it, Ava Caroline O'Brien, but there was no Oscar Monroe. I flipped again and again and again until I reached the last page of the papers.

"Scar?" I yelled to the back of the house for him. "Come here!"

He must've heard the urgency in my voice. "What's wrong?" he ran into the den where I sat, the papers in my hands and his expression dropped. _He must know exactly what the problem _is. "Can we talk about it later?" Scar asked. I could hear every ounce of fear in his voice and I have to admit it made me a little scared to hear his anxiety. There was nothing good that could come from this situation.

"No, I wanna talk about it now," I answered back with sass. I didn't like that we were fighting again but I needed to know why this wasn't going to be a group effort and I felt like he owed it to me. "Why isn't your name anywhere on the lease? I thought this was going to be _our_house."

"It is, I promise. It's just…I'm doing it to protect you," Scar said softly.

"From what exactly?"

"Think about it for a second. What would happen if I imprinted?" And there it was.

Everything inside of me went numb as I mulled his words around my head. "You know what, Scar?

You're a fucking hypocrite. Anytime I say anything about you imprinting, you tell me not to worry, that it will never happen. You tell me I'm your soulmate and we'll be together forever. Apparently those are just fucking words to you," I was biting my bottom lip, trying really hard not to cry. "You don't mean them, do you?" By this time I was pretty close to his face and I was fighting every urge to attempt to punch him. It wasn't even that I was mad. I was pissed, don't get me wrong, but I was confused and hurt. I had believed for so long that he wouldn't imprint because he had told me so. Now that seemed like a lie. I expected lies from other men, from other boys, but not from Scar. Not from my Scar.  
"I'm not doing it because I think I'll imprint, Ava, I just love you and want you to be taken care of in case," he remained calm, which pissed me off even more.

" You know that day at the restaurant when you didn't tell me about moving, Rachel told me that I never had to worry about you leaving me behind and that I loved you so much, the world wouldn't let you imprint. What am I supposed to think now, Scar?" I didn't give him a chance to answer back. I walked out of the den, into the kitchen. I expected him to follow me but he didn't, something I was grateful for at the moment. I tossed a few boxes and ripped a few open, finding just what I needed in the form of a giant Hershey's bar. I took it with me to our bedroom which was void of sheets and anything other than the bed and nightstands. What I knew I really needed to do right now was bake, that would be the thing to relax me but things in my kitchen weren't exactly ready for me to do any sort of cooking.

I sat on the bed for thirty minutes before I decided it was time to get ready for the party. I wasn't sure what Scar was going to wear, considering I'd locked him out of the bedroom from the boxes marked

"Scar's Clothes." _Oh, well_, I thought to myself.

We drove separately to the party too. I took my car while Scar took his bike. I couldn't think with him so near me. I knew my resolve would break and nothing would be accomplished and we'd end up right back here in a few months. I was so confused. How could he say that he loved me and wanted to be with me forever and then say on the other hand he was worried he might imprint? Especially when he was the one dead set on never imprinting.

Why couldn't who ever is in charge of imprinting not just have let us be together? Why wasn't I enough?

"Hello, Ava," Petra said to me as I walked towards the crowd on the beach. "Are you alright?"

I nodded. "Yeah, sorry," I said as she smiled at me and I sat down on the log next to her. "Um, Scar and I just had a disagreement."

"Sometimes Embry and I have disagreements too, but we always talk about it," Petra said. I loved Petra, not more or less than Claire, but differently. I felt like talking to her helped me deal with and sort out the adult stuff in my life. "Sometimes what I think is not what Embry is thinking and we disagree until we talk about it. It helps us understand each other. You and Scar should talk, Ava. That's the best thing to do." She patted my hand from across the space between us. Sometimes as simple as her words are, what Petra says in her innocent way always carries a ton of substance. I thanked her as I heard Scar's bike roar into the parking lot. I knew it was him but I didn't turn to look. I think he knew I wouldn't.

"Scar!" my oldest nephew ran as fast as his little legs could carry him to meet my boyfriend, who I was currently not speaking to.

"Hey buddy," I knew Scar was probably holding him up over his head. Again, I didn't look because I knew how much I loved watching Scar with small children and I knew every bit of angry resolve I had would start to decrease if I saw them. Instead, I walked around to the other side of the campsite to start the process of getting food.

The company I was going to be working for, named "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?", was catering the event and it was cool to meet some of the people I would be working with. After the meal was finished, we all gathered around Billy and sang _Happy Birthday_. Then the cake was cut.

"I hope you're going to be making all the cakes for us from now on," Jake said quietly after taking a bite from the too dry carrot cake.

"I'll see what I can do," I smiled as Jake patted me on the back.

"Alright, time for stories!" Jake announced as all the little kids ran to surround Billy.

"Any requests?" Billy asked.

"Tell the one about the Third Wife again, please, Mr. Billy Black," Ashley said from the back of the pack of little kids. She wasn't quite so little anymore, almost as tall as me, but she still loved to listen to the stories of the Quileutes although I knew that she still wasn't in on the pack secrets.

Billy grinned at Ashley and nodded. He told the familiar story again and the heirs of Taha Aki and the original wolves all listened with great attention. I always loved listening to all the stories but this one made me think and worry. The Third Wife, in all her courage, was an imprint. I guess, being as I wasn't an imprint, I could say that I could relate to the sacrifice she made, because I would do the same, I just couldn't get that Taha Aki had phased until he found his imprint. Would Scar do that? Would I be forced to grow old alone so the love of my life could wait until he found the person the Spirits most saw him with?

"You know, Mr. Black, I think you're wrong about something in that story," Ashley said when Billy had finished. I shook my head to try to concentrate on what my little sister could possibly think she needed to correct a tribal elder on.

"What's that, Miss O'Brien?" Billy asked very seriously. I could see the grin he was trying to hide on his face. Ashley loved Billy and loved listening to his stories. They always had animated conversations and I could only imagine what he thought she might say. It didn't help matters that everyone was now looking at Ashley like she was an alien or unicorn.

"You said that she didn't have any special gifts or powers. You said she only had courage but that's not true," Ashley answered.

"It's not?" Billy humored her.

"No, she had something much more important and valuable," then, like she knew what my head was saying to me, she looked straight at me. "She had love. She loved her husband enough to sacrifice herself. And she loved her tribe because she knew Taha Aki could then save her people. Sometimes you don't need magic, you just need love."

The crowd had grown silent as it absolutely hit me what she was saying. But how could she know about the wolves? About imprinting? About any of that? We'd all kept her partly in the dark all these years and yet she seemed to know exactly what I needed to hear. And while everyone looked at her, she only looked at me. _Sometimes you don't need magic, you just need love_.

"You know, Ashley, I think you are on to something there," Billy smiled at Ashley who had now turned to him. "Maybe one day, you and me can sit down and I can tell you some more stories. Then we'll compare notes and see what they mean to us."

Ashley hopped up from her spot on the blanket. "Really?"

"Really," Billy answered. "You know, there's something we can learn from this." He looked up so that he could have everyone's attention. "Our legends, like our tribe, change and grow. We cannot forget that sometimes the best lessons we can learn come from our children. I say that now especially looking at all the young faces before me, and all the young ones on the way." I looked over to see Jake wrap his arms around Nessie's heavily pregnant belly. Then I looked at Claire to see Quil lightly press his palms to her stomach from behind her. _Sometimes you don't need magic, you just need love_.

I could be that. I had that love, I didn't have an imprint and I didn't have any magical power but I could love. I could love Scar enough to build my life with him. Even if it did mean growing old alone while he continued to phase. I would take those years of love with him over the alternative of being alone.  
By the time this realization had dawned on me, most of the crowd was starting to pack up and I stood, still staring at the fire. Until I felt his presence near me. Almost like I could sense him. "I'm sorry," I whispered. I knew he could hear me and before I knew it, I felt him take my hand. "I'm not going to worry about it anymore. I'm not going to worry about you imprinting."

"I don't want you to worry about that, Ava. I don't know why I did what I did, I just, I don't…" he trailed off but I knew what he was saying. It took a greater act of love for him to put my name alone on the lease than to put his too. "I'm not going to ever leave you," he whispered. _Sometimes you don't need magic, you just need love_.

"I know," I said. I did know. Even if he did imprint, I would never lose him. I would always belong to him, even if he wasn't mine. Imprint or not, I was his. And for the time being, in the unfortunate event magic stepped in, he would be mine.

_Sometimes you don't need magic, you just need love_.

AN: I hope you liked it and it was worth the wait! Please review!


	17. The First Day of the Rest of Our Lives

**AN: **_**Twilight**_** still belongs to SM. However, everything else belongs to either Nina or me.**

**Very, very special thank you to my beta extraordinaire, Ninadoll! I am so happy to be able to write in her universe and to call her my friend! Thank you for being so patient with me, Nina! You are amazing! Please check out her stories, **_**Rest of Forever, How Wonderful Life is Now You're In the World, How the Mighty Fall, **_**and**_** The Colors of My Life**_**, if you haven't already. They are awesome and you will love them! That's a promise!**

**Also a huge shout out and thank you to my friend, shojioxlow! Thank you for the inspiration for GamGam's Heineken episode! You are awesome! And thank you for introducing me to **_**Cat on a Hot Tin Roof**_**! "Maggie, lock the door…" Boomer Sooner!**

**I apologize for the delay in this chapter. I took entirely too long to write it and I hope it is worth the wait. There is only the Epilogue left but if you check out my blog, you can find pictures from this chapter. Thank you all for reading!**

**CHAPTER 17: THE FIRST DAY OF THE REST OF OUR LIVES**

**AVA'S POV**

"Gam Gam, please tell me you are not drinking Heineken. It's not even noon yet," I heard Abby scolding GamGam as I tiptoed down the stairs. I knew Abby was going to be stressed today, I think she was more nervous than I was but I couldn't help but feel bad that she was taking it out on GamGam. Though I had to ask myself if I really wanted a buzzed granny with me today.

"Abigail, don't get fussy with me. You know a little beer calms my nerves," GamGam retorted.

"You know I need you to be on your A-game today," Abby said just as I met the bottom of the stairs.

"All the more reason I should have a beer," GamGam answered back with a smile I could hear. "You know, your great grandmother had a beer every morning and every night and she lived to 102. My theory is that if I do that, Willard Scott will for sure wish me a happy birthday on the Today Show."I heard Abby sigh. "You know, Abigail, maybe if you had one with me, you'd relax a little."

I couldn't help but chuckle out loud. My GamGam was definitely a different kind of lady, that's for sure. "Ava! Are you up?" Abby yelped, bringing me out of my thoughts.

I stayed quiet, wishing I had one of GamGam's Heineken to calm my nerves. Not to mention I was going to need it to deal with crazy Abby today.

"You can't hide, you know? She'll find you," Seth said with a grin on his face.

"I'm not sure I'm ready," I looked down.

"For today? You better be because Scar's going to be extremely devastated if you don't show up," he said, putting his hands in his pocket.

"Oh no, not about that. I'm not sure I'm ready for dealing with Abby," I said, as serious as a heart attack.

Seth chuckled and sat down on the step next to me. "You know, in your eyes, you grew up a long time ago, and while Abby's always let you have that independence, I know she feels like she's really losing you today," he sighed and then patted hand. "I know she'll be a handful but please be patient with my wife today, Ave."

"I will," I said, softly. I had been out of Casa de Clearwater for seven years, but I knew Abby didn't really feel like I wasn't there. Even when Scar and I had our rented house in Forks, or now that we had our own house near the border of Forks and La Push. I don't think she was ever ready to let me go because letting me go, meant letting another part of Mom and Dad go.

"Daddy, when are we going to Ave's house?" my littlest nephew, Cullen, asked. He was still in his pajamas, complete with a cowboy hat, a fake sheriff's star and a pair of red boots that GamGam had brought from Oklahoma. He was the cutest five-year old alive, of that I was sure. "Mommy said you gotta get Lee and me's tuskes."

"Howdy, Sheriff," I said, pulling Cullen closer and pulling him to my lap. He pretended to struggle for a minute but then melted into my hug.

"Why you gotta get married today, Ave? I wanna wear my cowboy stuff but Mommy said no," he pouted as his hat fell off and I kissed his mess of dark brown hair.

"Don't you want Scar to be your uncle?" Seth asked.

Cullen gave him a confused look and then furrowed his brow. "He's already my uncle, Daddy! He's the bestest uncle ever!"

Seth and I both chuckled watching the seriousness on the little boy's face. Of course, our revelry didn't last long. "Two hours, Ava. That's how long you have to get your hair done, your makeup done, get your dress on, and eat a little something before the photographer is here to take pictures," Abby interrupted us. "Not to mention that Claire, Petra, and Anita will be here soon." She stood in front of the three of us in her bathrobe and her hands on her hips. She turned to her husband. "And you, what are you still doing here? You and the boys are supposed to be at Ava and Scar's house in ten minute's. It's going to take you at least fifteen to make it halfway—" Seth jumped up from his seat and pressed his lips to Abby's to stop her rambling.

I took that as my cue and put Cullen down. Seth broke their kiss and caressed Abby's cheek. "I love you, and I love that you're excited, but please don't give your sister an aneurism on her wedding day." I watched them carefully and wondered if Scar and I would be like them someday. We weren't imprinted but I always felt like we were just as much two parts to a whole as any of the other couples. "Don't give yourself a heart attack either, Bee." He kissed her cheek and leaned into her ear. I wasn't sure what he said but I could tell by the blush on Abby's face that it must have been good.

"Okay," she sighed. "You really do need to head out though."

"Yes, ma'am," Seth gave her one more quick kiss and then scooped Cullen up. "Liam, you ready to go, little dude?" He yelled up the stairs before heading up with Cullen.

I sighed and looked at Abby. Her hair was a mess, in a sloppy bun on her head, with her bath robe and slippers. But she was my big sister and she was beautiful. She was beautiful because she had worked day in and day out since Christmas to make sure I had the perfect beach-side wedding I'd dreamed of. She and Seth had taken over the traditional wedding roles of the parents, like they always did, but it was different this time. I could see the age in Abby's face, the lines that weren't there before a tornado ripped our family apart, the lines that I noticed, showed the world who Abby really was. She was hardworking, loving, and I was lucky she was my sister. As she watched Seth leave, I got up and put my arms around her waist like a child. "Thank you, Abbs," I said, hugging her tight.

"Every girl deserves the perfect wedding day," she said gently.

"That's not what I—"

"I know," Abby said, stopping me. "Don't make me cry right now though. It's going to be a long day and I know…I know…" Her bottom lip start to quiver and I knew she was going to cry. I also knew she'd kill me if I let her tears start this early. Luckily for me, GamGam saved us from the tears.

"Abigail! Is there any of that fried chicken left from last night?"

As if on command, both Abby and I sighed. "I'll be right there, GamGam!" She sighed again. "Why did Seth insist she say with us and not with Aunt Tess?"

"I heard that, Missy!" GamGam yelled from the kitchen.

Abby walked towards the kitchen and I plopped myself back down on the stairs. I remembered the list of things I knew I had to get done but I couldn't stop myself from looking at the pictures on the wall around me. Pictures of Liam as a baby, pictures of Liam and Ashley with Seth and Abby the day Cullen was born, pictures of Seth and Abby's wedding. My favorite pictures though, the ones that were hung together, were of the people that couldn't be here today. My Mom and Dad stared back at me, smiling brightly on their wedding day. They looked deliriously happy. I wondered if I would have that look on my face as Scar and I said our vows and then went off into the sunset, and boy was I ready for the ride into the sunset.

It had been two years since Scar and I had moved back to Forks, though it seemed like only yesterday. For the first year, we both concentrated on our careers. We were content to be a couple, we knew we would get married some day but we both knew there were things we both wanted before that could happen. We had both been saving our salaries to find a house of our own. No more leasing, no more temporary, a house that could be ours, where we could build our family. After two years of working extra weekends and dealing with a dick of a co-pastry chef, we started the house hunting process. Originally, we were under the misconception that we'd have a house in no time at all. The problem was, for everything Scar and I agreed we wanted in a house, there was at least one thing we disagreed on too. It wasn't nearly the picnic I'd imagined. I decided to blame that on HGTV and too many hours of _House Hunters_.

After nearly three months of looking and countless arguments over the number of bathrooms our house should have, we found the perfect home. Nestled along the border between La Push and Forks, it was the perfect three-bedroom, two and a half bath house. The kitchen was large, spacious, and state-of-the-art for me, while the garage was complete with a built in workspace perfect for Scar. There was no second guessing or arguments. This was our house. We made an offer on it the same day and after a week of haggling over the price, we signed the papers to take over ownership. I say we but it was really just me. At Scar's insistence, like with the rented house, the deed has only my name on it. We didn't talk about it, I just knew why and I held Scar's hand as tightly as I could as I scrawled my name on the line of the deed. Our friends and family helped us move in.

After that, we settled into a happy life, working during the day and spending our evenings at home together. I was always trying new recipes and Scar was always willing to be my taste tester. Occasionally, we would keep my nephews and Ashley for the weekend so Seth and Abby could have some alone time. I loved Scar, but watching him with the kiddos made me love him more than I ever thought possible. The problem was watching him like that also made me want more. I wanted to see him with our own children, I wanted to see him with his hands on my swollen belly, our wedding bands sparkling in the sunlight. I was pretty sure it was just my biological clock ticking at me but I couldn't help the want that was settling in me.

I honestly didn't expect to be engaged anytime soon though. We'd just spent most all the money we had on our house and I wasn't sure there was anyway we could afford an engagement ring, nonetheless a wedding. Not that any of that mattered to me, I was content with the courthouse and a piece of paper that said I was Mrs. Monroe. It did matter to Scar though. Like he had told Seth when we first made plans to move in together, he wanted it all, the ring and the wedding and he wanted everyone to see that even if I wasn't his imprint, I was _his_.

And though the fates might not have deemed me his imprint, they definitely did want us together. Just before Halloween, Shipo's employees all received a rather hefty bonus after an incredible year of sales. I, of course, didn't find out about this until almost a week later when we were cuddled together near a fire on First Beach. It wasn't a bonfire, just a night outside for a few of the pack couples. We'd roasted hot dogs and eaten s'mores. Scar had pulled me so that my back was against his chest. He'd been quiet all night so I knew something was up but I kept my mouth closed as he ran his hands up my arms.

"_Have I told you today how much I love you?" he asked through breathy words._

_I nodded. "But I haven't told you that I love you so much more."_

_Scar chuckled and pulled me closer. "Well, in that case, I guess I won't give you the present I bought you." _

"_Excuse me?" I pretended to act offended and pulled back to look at him. "Okay, I see how it is."_

_Scar moved forward and pecked my lips quickly and softly. "I guess I can give it to you anyway," he said, shifting us. "We both have to get up so I can give it to you." He stood first and then gave me his hand to help me to my feet. "Close your eyes," he whispered softly while I attempted to dust off the sand I knew was on my butt. I did what he said though and closed my eyes. "Don't peek."_

"_I won't!" I yelped. I was starting to feel really anxious and could hear some of his movements but really had no clue what this mysterious present could be. _

_After what seemed like an hour, Scar squeezed my hand. "You can open your eyes now," he said with extreme gentleness in his voice. Part of me worried about what I would see if I opened my eyes. There was so much in his voice just telling me to open my eyes that I wasn't sure what was waiting for me. But I did, slowly, I felt my eyes flutter open to find Scar in front of me. The fire flickered off his face as he stood in front of me with a jewelry box in the hand that wasn't holding mine. _

"_What…Scar…what…" That's how I knew that this was the best moment in my life. I couldn't even find words to say anything. I was speechless. I knew what was coming and I swallowed hard ready to shout my answer to him._

"_Just wait," he said. His hands shook a little and he took in a deep breath like he was trying to steady his nerves. For someone that didn't cry though, my eyes were already watering. That didn't matter though because I could still see his beautiful brown eyes as they looked into mine. "When I was little, I used to tell my Mom that I wanted to be an explorer when I grew up. I told her I was going to go on all these great adventures and discover new things. Since my Mom left, I've been on a few adventures I'm not too proud of…actually, I'm kind of ashamed of a few of them. And I thought all my adventures were over. But you know what?" I shook my head, not quite sure any words would come out of my mouth. "It's okay now, I'm okay now because I have you. You made me decide to keep going, to be better and have a future and keep finding new adventures." I took in a long ragged breath too, knowing exactly how he felt. I had been so broken, so scared and sad, but life was so much easier with him by my side. "So I decided that I'm still going to be an explorer and I want to start a new adventure. I was thinking, if you would agree, that maybe we could go on this adventure together?" He paused and swallowed hard again. "I was hoping our new adventure could be marriage. And then maybe we could start the adventure of parenthood. Because I know, I want to have all my adventures with you, Ava." He moved to the side and bent on one knee. I glanced at the sand next to him, remembering the first time he'd told me he loved me, writing it in the snow. Now, his messy script read, _'Will U Marry Me?' _in the sand and he knelt beside it._ "_ So, please, Ava Caroline O'Brien, say you'll be my wife and marry me and make me the happiest explorer in the world?"_

_I didn't stutter, I didn't even breathe. "Yes! YES! YES! A thousand one times, yes!" I practically threw myself at him, locking our lips. This was my reward, I was sure of it. Like Scar, I had made some really shitty mistakes but I'd been a good girl for years. I had tried to be a better person, to make up for those things, and now, wrapped in Scar's arms with his ring on my finger, I knew this was my reward. _

"There's the bride!" Anita said as she walked through the door, bringing me out of my reminiscing. Her stomach was quite large with her and Sarge's first child. When we first got engaged, Anita was one of the first people I called. I told her that Scar had proposed and we were pushing for a May wedding. i asked her to be one of my bridesmaids. "Oh," she replied as if unsure, definitely not a reaction I had expected. _"I'm pregnant, Ava. I'm due at the end of May," she said with gloomy voice. "I'm going to be huge!"_

As it turned out though, I had two pregnant bridesmaids. Anita was due any day now and part of me worried that her water might break in the middle of ceremony and Seth would have to deliver the baby right there. She assured me that she had had a serious talk with the baby and told him he needed to stay put until at least the reception. My second pregnant bridesmaid was Petra, who was just barely pregnant, only a small little bump in her abdomen. The Petra I met so long ago was gone and this new Petra had a glow about her, a confidence. When we first met, she was so soft-spoken and so anxious and timid, and while she still maintained a bit of the soft-spokenness, she seemed to have finally found a place of peace and solitude.

My bridal party was rounded out by Abby, Ash, and Claire. The girls all helped me pick out the perfect dresses for them, beautiful soft turquoise chiffon. Ashley's fit her teenage frame perfectly, falling just above her knees, while the other bridesmaids' dresses fell to their feet. The empire waist fit Anita's belly, as well as but complimented the other's forms as well. They were perfect and I smiled as Abby helped Ashley zip her dress up while the makeup artist finished my makeup.

"Do I look okay?" Ashley asked with a small twirl. I knew she worried the strapless silhouette might not stay put but about two months ago, she went through a little bust growth spurt.

"You look beautiful," I said back. She truly did, the color bringing the darker green tones in her eyes out even more.

Her cheeks flushed and she looked down. "Do you think other people will like it?"

I knew exactly who she was asking about. Ashley's feelings for her closest friend outside of Sydney were changing and she was becoming more a woman than a kid. It was hard to see her grow up so much because she would always be my little sister, but I was proud of her. "I know _he_ will," I smiled, pulling her forward to hug her when she blushed further.

I watched as my bridesmaids' makeup and hair was done, all of them wearing their hair down in barrel curls. The day seemed to go by in a flash, like Abby said it would. It was a flurry of makeup and hair and dresses. I had given each of my bridesmaids a necklace as a thank you gift. Each necklace was the same, a silver starfish pendant on a silver chain. I chose the starfish after months of looking for the perfect necklace for my bridesmaids. The starfish, a symbol of salvation during times of trouble, seemed to fit perfectly. All of my bridesmaids had been a bit of salvation for me during times when I needed it. They were the perfect fit and looked fabulous next to the dresses. I knew the wedding locale would make them shine.

Scar and I had argued a bit over where to actually have the wedding ceremony. Neither of us were what you could call "church folk" and a quick courthouse wedding, while cheap and a lot less stressful, wasn't what either of us wanted, if nothing else, for the simple joy of seeing our family smiling and being there to cheer us on as we started this new journey. So the final decision was to get married in the exact spot where Scar had proposed. The wedding would take place before twilight with the Pacific Ocean behind us and our family and friends in front of us.

"Time to get you in your dress," Abby walked into my former room at Casa de Clearwater, already in her turquoise dress. She had my wedding dress draped on her arms until she slowly hung the hanger on a hook and then proceeded to take it off the hanger. My dress looked very similar to the bridesmaids' dresses. I didn't want white, besides the irony of it, so I went for a soft, very soft pale ivory color. It was the same strapless dress, with similar crisscrossed fabric on the top. I wasn't wearing a starfish necklace though. I wasn't wearing pearls or sapphires or diamonds. No, I was wearing the wolf necklace that Scar had given me for our first Christmas together. It may not have been the best looking piece of jewelry to wear for one's wedding but it had a special meaning. No matter what the fates decided, I was as much his imprint as any imprint was to their wolf.

Abby and Ashley unzipped the dress and held it open for me. "Okie dokey, little Okie," Ashley grinned. I undid my robe and slid it off, already in my special turquoise blue wedding lingerie, my something blue. I stepped into the awaiting dress, my something new. It wasn't really supposed to be a complicated process but I laughed as my other bridesmaids all surrounded me, lifting and zipping the dress.

"Now you need something old and before you ask, I don't count," GamGam said. She shuffled in the room and grabbed my hand, opening it. "Your mother carried this when she married your father. I carried this when I married your grandfather, and you great-grandmother carried it when she crossed the ocean from Ireland, starting a new journey of her own." She placed a fragile pearl Rosary in my hand. "Now it's time for you to have it when you start your new journey." It was funny that she chose those words. That's the way Scar and I were looking at it, a new journey together. It was the way he described it when he proposed to me. GamGam was probably much more insightful than she knew.

"Thank you," I smiled as GamGam pulled me into a hug.

"You're welcome. You look beautiful," she kissed my cheek and released me.

"Now for your something borrowed," Abby held a small black box in her hand. "I wore these when Seth and I got married." She opened the lid to show me the diamond studs she'd worn the day she married her wolf. "They were a gift from Mom and Dad, from when I graduated with my undergrad. I know they helped me feel them with me that day." My emotional sister's voice was thick and I knew she was close to tears again.

"Thanks, Abbs," I said, watching her. This day was hard for her not just because she was letting me go but I knew a part of her was feeling the loss of our parents very deeply on this day. I wished they could be here too. It took me a long time to realize that sometimes you can't understand everything. You can't understand why things happen but they happen and things change and a series of events is set into motion. I truly believed that my parents had sent Scar to me, just like they had sent Seth to Abby, and just like they would send Ashley's love to her. They may not have been with me physically, but they were there. I knew it.

"I love you," she kissed my cheek too and then released me.

"I love you too," I responded by squeezing her tightly.

"I have your penny," Ashley held up a shiny copper penny. "You're supposed to put in your shoe." She cocked her head to the side. "_Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a sixpence in her shoe_. We don't have sixpences so I picked out this penny." She knelt down in front of me and picked up my sandal, putting a piece of tape over the penny and taping it to the very back of my shoe. "Now you can get married," she giggled, helping to slide the shoe on under my dress.

She was right, now I could get married. I was dressed, I had all my good luck charms and I was ready to start my journey. My bridesmaids and I rode to the beach together in a white stretch limo and I laughed as the bottle of champagne on board wasn't touched. Half my bridesmaids were pregnant, one wasn't allowing herself to drink, one was underaged, and the other was a nervous wreck! So leave it to the bride to pop the cork and drink straight from the bottle. The other women in the car looked at me with wide eyes. "What? I'm celebrating!" I chuckled, before taking another large sip.

I only got to enjoy a few sips before we arrived at the beach. I glanced out the window and looked around. I could see the groomsmen standing around but couldn't see Scar. Scar chose his groomsmen from all different parts of his life, some from the pack, some from college, and some that intermingled into both parts. He chose Sarge to be his best man, then Hiawatha, both friends from college and both instrumental in pushing Scar to make a move. Lil' G, Luka, and Scott were his pack brothers and had grown up with Scar. I think Sebastian was a little disappointed not to be included but he was happy to help with Liam and Cullen, the ring bearers. His job was to stand at the end of the aisle, on the end seat, with a bag of Skittles to lure the sometimes cranky Cullen down.

The girls and I waited for the groomsmen to disperse out of sight before we got out of the limo. We took a few pictures but I kept straining to look down the beach. I just wanted one peek of Scar. The guys looked great in their suits so I could only imagine what Scar looked like. Plus, the sounds coming from the beach made me so curious about who was already here.

"He's there, Ava, calm down," Anita laughed, holding her belly. "Let's get this show on the road!"

We were ushered into a small white tent on the beach, just next to the ceremony area. We waited for fifteen minutes or so for the guest to get settled and the boys to get into their places. I could feel Scar outside and I wanted to be right there next to him.

"Alright, it's time to get you lined up and ready to go," Abby said, putting her bouquet down. She lined up the girls: Anita, Petra, then Claire. Abby and Ashley were going to give me away, just like we had Abby when she and Seth married. Soft music played and one by one the girls left the tent until it was just my sisters and me. "You look beautiful, Ava," my sister said softly. "Mom and Dad would be so proud of you."

"Thank you, Abbs," I said. Abby stood in front of me, fixing the last few things on my dress. "I know they're here," I told her as she looked up at me.

"They are," Abby nodded. "I'm so proud of both of you," she pushed a curl behind Ash's ear. We heard the music change outside to the Bridal March and Abby sighed. "Okay, here we go."

Abby, Ashley and I stepped out of the tent into the soft light of twilight. I could feel my sisters on either side of me as we walked down the aisle. Aunt Tess and GamGam were crying and most everyone else was smiling, but my eyes remained on Scar, his eyes as they drew me in and it was probably the longest walk in my whole life, ever, but I felt like I was gliding a foot off the ground, gracefully moving towards my life, my future and suddenly Abby was placing my hand in his and it was so right, like it always is. The corners of his eyes crinkled as me smiled at me. I heard him say, "You're beautiful," as he bent his head to kiss me. I closed my eyes, it was all too much…this is it. The day that proves that I am his and he is mine! It was just so wonderful, like the best chocolate chip cookies. The ones with ground oatmeal and pecans. I felt so gooey inside.

"I love you, Mrs. Monroe," Scar's lips met mine as I heard everyone cheering. It was a long, intimate kiss, but not overly sexual.

"It's over?" I whispered as I pulled back from the kiss.

Scar chuckled. "Yeah," he ran a finger over my lips. "Don't you remember saying 'I do'?"

I honestly didn't completely remember because I couldn't stop looking into his eyes, his brilliant brown eyes. I nodded though and then pulled his lips to me again. I was finally with him, we were finally husband and wife and I was pretty sure life didn't get any better than this moment. I held on tight to his arm as we walked back down the aisle, our bridal party and our groomsmen following behind us. Liam was happy to follow but Cullen planted his butt in the sand and refused to budge. It was okay though. At that point, feeling like I did, nothing could upset the day.

After the ceremony, we held a large bonfire on the beach. Our guests sat on large pillows around beautifully decorated tables. Dinner was nice but to me, the best part, the part I would remember until the day I died, was the feeling of Scar's hand in mine. It stayed that way all night too. He never released my hand and I was thankful for that.

We shared our first dance as husband and wife to the song that we'd danced to at Abby and Seth's wedding, "Do You Realize?" by The Flaming Lips. Before we left for our honeymoon in the Bahamas, Abby insisted on a large family photo that I knew would find its way on the wall of fame next to all the other moments that had been captured over the decades.

And even though the road hadn't been smooth, Scar and I were together and no matter what the road held for us, we would be okay because we had each other. We were riding off into the sunset, hand in hand, and neither one of us could stop smiling.

**Second AN: Thank you again! Don't forget to review!**


	18. Every Day

**AN: _Twilight_ still belongs to SM. However, everything else belongs belong to either Nina or me.**

**Very, very special thank you to my beta extraordinaire, Ninadoll! I am so happy to be able to write in her universe and to call her my friend! Thank you for being so patient and encouraging me, Nina! You are amazing! I'm so grateful to you for letting me borrow Scar! I hope I've made you proud! Please check out her stories, _Rest__of__Forever,__How__Wonderful__Life__is__Now__You__'__re__In__the__World,__How__the__Mighty__Fall,_and_The__Colors__of__My__Life_, if you haven't already. They rock and you will love them! That's a promise!**

**Also a huge shout out and thank you to my friend, shojioxlow! We have our Breaking Dawn tickets and we're ready to go! Thank you for being so awesome!**

**Well, this is it, the goodbye for Ava and Scar. I had a hard time writing this chapter because it's not easy to let them go. But I'm excited about working on Quil and Claire and I can promise that the little kiddos will be back at some point. I have all kinds of pictures for the epilogue on my blog and my webs page so please, please check them out. And if you like what you see, please let me know. Thank you all for reading and for all your reviews!**

**EPILOGUE: EVERY DAY**

"Hi, I'm Ava, what can I do for you guys today?" I asked the glowing couple. They were slightly older than me with the man draping his arm across the petite girl's shoulder.

"Well, we're getting married in November…" the man said, not looking at me but keeping his eyes on the blushing girl next to him.

"And we heard that Sweets is the best caterer in this part of Forks," the girl said with a smile.

I was flattered for sure. In just eighteen months I'd gone from working for someone else and dealing with a dickhead co-pastry chef, to, with the help of Abby and Nessie, owning my own successful catering business in Forks. _Sweets__Catering__and__Confections_ was my baby and I had worked my ass off to make it what it was.

"Then you've come to the right place," I said. I flipped open to a new page in my binder and started taking notes as the girl rattled off details about the wedding-to-be. I couldn't help but think back on life for Scar and me these last two years.

After the wedding, Scar and I spent a week in the lovely, tropical Bahamas. We snorkeled, we ate, we swam, we slept, we didn't sleep…we didn't sleep A LOT! I'm not sure if it was the amount of not sleeping or something greater but when we got back to Forks, even with the happiness of marital bliss, I knew something was different with me, something wasn't "normal". Three weeks later, my suspicions were confirmed by Kim after both a blood and urine test. I was pregnant. I really shouldn't have been surprised, I mean, Scar and I had been not been using any sort of protection but it was still a little unexpected.

Abby's pregnancies had both been a little trying on her but it was completely the opposite for me. I felt good most of the time, I wasn't low on energy and there was very little morning sickness. Scar was the ideal husband, going out of his way to feed my strange cravings like Tabasco-flavored popcorn or Ketchup covered bananas. So it wasn't really my pregnancy that brought about a change in my career. No, that was all Luis.

Luis Cabaza de San Juan was my co-pastry chef. We hadn't really ever gotten along but it seemed like, as time went by, he began to get really aggressive about how much he didn't like me. Any wedding or event that I was scheduled to head up, he would try to encroach. He would offer advice, followed by an explanation about how he would've done it better. When I told everyone I was pregnant, Luis assumed that I would stop working and take my "rightful" place at home as a wife and mother. Add on to that, anytime I had finished a cake, he would critique it and then, without saying a word, rip it to shreds. For the most part, I was generally a pretty confident person, not like self-absorbed, and I gained experience and learned. That wasn't the case here. Luis made me absolutely miserable. I tried not to let him, I talked to Scar about it a lot and he and I would come up with strategies to deal with him. We came with everything from ignoring him to trying to stay out of the bakery when he was there. Scar even wanted to come have a word with him, but I wouldn't let him.

Before I dealt with Luis, I loved my job. I loved baking and I loved getting to be a part of people's special occasions. But Luis changed that. I dreaded getting out of bed and had to give myself pep talks in the mornings. I would rub the little bump in my belly and feel like the little one inside me was willing me to do something. I had to change this situation.

But before it got better, it got worse. The proverbial straw that broke the camel's back came when I was working on the biggest project I'd been trusted. The Governor of the state of Washington's daughter was getting married. Not only had she chosen a resort here in Forks as her location, but she'd picked our company to do all the catering. I was in charge of the cake, something Luis didn't appreciate. He made his opinion known that as the senior baker he should've been in charge of that project. But the truth was, the client had seen both of our portfolios and she chose me. I worked closely with her to make sure the cake was exactly what she wanted and would make her day that much more special. On the day of the wedding, I put the final touches on the cake and then helped load it into the van. The plan was for the van to go ahead to the venue and then I would load my car and meet them there. I didn't know that it was Luis that had given them directions or that the road he told them to take was riddled with large potholes and broken branches. I showed up at the venue a good 20 minutes before the van, and when the van finally showed up, the cake was a disaster. The top layer had hit the roof of the van and smashed in one side, while the rest of the cake looked a little too much like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. I managed to salvage it but it wasn't the masterpiece it should've been. I went home that night knowing I had to change something. I couldn't do it anymore.

The moment I was finished at the wedding reception and I was safe in my car, I called Abby. I let it all out, I cried and slammed my fist against the wheel and vented out all of my frustration. Fortunately for me, Abby was with some of the other wolf wives and I joined them all as they tried to help me figure out what to do next.

"_This was a disaster but who knows what he'll do next time," I cried, blaming my fluctuating hormones for the tears._

"_Have you thought about telling your boss?" Abby asked, taking a sip from her lemonade. Apparently, the warmer summer temperatures had all the wives and children hanging out for the day. The kids were down at the beach while their dads looked after them and gave the women a chance to have girl-time._

_I actually had talked to my boss. More than once even. But he always told me just to ignore him, that I was doing a good job. His stunt today though could've ruined by career. _

"_Have you thought about going out on your own and starting your own company?" Nessie asked. I had thought about it before I figured out how much it would cost just to start my own catering business, in addition to having to compete against the company that I got my start at. So I told them all my qualms about it. "What if you had some help with the finances? Would you do it then?"_

"_I don't know. It would be a lot of work, and with a baby on the way…" I stopped myself. I didn't want to use the baby as an excuse as to why I didn't think I could do it. I was already so in love with my baby and I wouldn't do that._

"_Ava, you could come up with excuses all day, but the fact is, you are very talented and you are good at what you do. And right now, you're not happy and that's not good," Abby held my hand and looked at me with caring eyes._

"_This is what I propose, I propose you take on a few silent partners just to get you started. Now, this would just be financial help. Everything else is on you," Nessie said, very nonchalantly. _

"_Ha! And who would these silent partners be?" I asked. I wasn't really sure who would be silly enough to invest in my company._

"_Well, I'd be willing to chip in," Abby said without hesitating._

"_And I would help make up the difference," Nessie said. "I know what it's like to want to do something you love."_

So that's what I did. I took on two silent partners and made rough plans for a new career path. The next day, I gave my two weeks notice and rolled my eyes as Luis chuckled. After that though, during the day, I worked, then in the evenings, Calista helped me find a good building, and only a month after I started the process, S_weets__Catering__and__Confections_ came to life and I already had my first event planned and ready by way of Petra's baby shower.

After that, Scar and I settled into a happy routine. We visited Anita and Sarge in Seattle at least once a month in Seattle. They had welcomed a baby boy named Larkin while Scar and I were on our honeymoon and the further in my pregnancy I got, the more holding Larkin made me choke up. I was ready to hold my own little miracle in my arms. Scar and I argued over finding out the sex of the baby. I, in no way shape or form, wanted to know. I wanted it to be a surprise, to feel that excitement when the baby was born, but a part of me knew it would be a boy, all pack babies were boys. But Scar wanted to know. His argument was that his life had been full of too many surprises, not all good, and this was something he could control. He wanted to be able to buy the right clothes for his baby, and decorate the nursery properly, no neutral colors or themes to make up for the fact we didn't know. In the end, I agreed with Scar. However, our little one had a mind of its own and decided it would be best to make us wait it out. Almost every single ultrasound, our baby found a way to practice modesty. So, alas, the sex of our baby remained a mystery. It wasn't until my last ultrasound that our little one decided it was ready to reveal itself. Up to this point, all the babies born to the pack had been boys. All that changed though with the birth of Petra and Embry's little girl, Sunshine. She was the first girl and set quite a trend for the pack. Over the next year, the pack welcomed quite a few girls, including my niece, Avery Emilia Clearwater, and Scar and my own little bundle of preciousness.

Adelle Megan Monroe was born on a rare sunny day on Valentine's Day. The pregnancy had been normal but the birth, not so much. I had been having contractions for a few days. I didn't really worry about it though until my water broke. On February 13th, I was at Abby and Seth's for a family dinner. I was enjoying Abby's lasagna and listening to Liam talk about playing baseball in the Spring when the pain got worse.

"Auntie Ave, did you go tinkle on the floor?" Cullen asked as he leaned over and looked under and behind my chair.

"What?" Honestly, at this stage in the pregnancy, with as huge as I was and how smooshed my bladder was, it was a real possibility. But then the shooting, sharp pains in my lower back let me know that that liquid, probably wasn't tinkle.

"Okay, I think it's time to get someone to the hospital," Abby said with the calmest and coolest voice. Since when did she become the level-headed one? I was usually the one having to calm her down and here she was barking instructions at the guys and helping me up slowly from my chair. Even her husband, who was a doctor, sat stone still with the same scared shitless expression my husband wore. That didn't faze her though. She helped me change into dry clothes, sent Seth to our house to grab my hospital bag and to drop the boys and Ash off at Sue's, then climbed in next to me in the backseat and held my hand through the entire process.

And I do mean the entire process. Scar on one side of me and my big sister on the other, a true representation of what my life had been like for the past decade, as I labored for more than twenty-four hours. Then, just as the sun was setting, our daughter made her way into the world. Obviously it couldn't be that easy, right? Right…apparently she decided that instead of keeping herself in the head-down position, she would flip and put herself in a breech position. Kim tried to turn her but, of course, being my daughter, she had a mind of her own. Butt first, she made her entrance. I prayed that would be the biggest struggle she'd ever had to survive in her life even though I knew that was highly unlikely.

"_It's a girl!" Kim said. I couldn't see much down between my legs but I could tell Kim was unwrapping the umbilical cord from the baby's neck. "She's okay, I just need to wake her up." _

"_She's beautiful, Ave," Abby smiled. "She's got a lot of black hair."_

"_Can I see her?" I asked, starting to panic and realizing I hadn't heard the normal cries that most babies made or seen the face of the precious little one I'd loved for nine months._

_Kim suctioned the baby's mouth and then laid the baby, cord still attached, on my stomach. I don't know what it's like to imprint. Unlike the rest of the girls in my circle, I didn't know what it felt like. I knew what it was like to feel so in love and be connected to someone like I did with Scar, but I didn't know the exact feeling of the imprint. But I was pretty sure, watching Kim rub the baby's back and then hearing her scream out, that this is what an imprint felt like. I was devoted to my daughter. I would protect her and care for her and as long as I lived, she, and any other little Monroes that came along, they would be my gravity, my sun. Baby Adelle was the missing piece of the puzzle, and for some reason, I knew that this little miracle lying on my stomach was the universe's sign that Scar and I belonged together. That feeling only intensified._

_After Scar had cut the cord, and I'd managed to breastfeeding our daughter after three attempts and five hours of struggles. It was time for the pack to visit. One by one, the families made their way in, starting with my sisters and nephews. _

"_Her eyes aren't green like Sunshine's," Liam said, looking at his little cousin as she lay in my lap._

"_Nope, she's going to have to settle for brown eyes, I think," Ashley said, then asked to hold the baby. Ashley was now a teenager. She was a good student, but like Abby, it was animals she had a soft spot for and she'd recently started La Push High's first "Save the Grizzlies" campaign to stop the illegal poaching of grizzly bears in the area. She was becoming more free spirited and surer of herself. At 15, she wasn't a little girl anymore. She was definitely growing into a very kind, intelligent, beautiful young lady. "Can I take a picture with you and my niece?" Ashley asked but didn't wait for me to answer as she hopped up next to me on the bed, draped her arm over my shoulder and stuck her phone in front of us to snap a picture. "Awesome," she giggled as her fingers flew over the keys on her cell phone._

"_Do I even have to ask?" Seth grumbled._

_I rolled my eyes along with Ashley. "Just chill, big brother. She's a teenage girl. She's supposed to be texting boys and having all those warm fuzzy feelings in her stomach."_

"_It's just Mac, Seth," Ashley said. But that didn't seem to appease Seth at all as he continued to grumble about being a teenage boy once._

_After the Clearwaters and Ashley left, Frank, Scar's Dad, met his granddaughter for the first time. I could only imagine the feeling going through him as he looked at Adelle, remembering the times he'd held Megan like he was. "You done good, kids," he said, smiling from ear to ear. _

"_Thanks, Dad," Scar said. Then, as his Dad started to leave, he turned back suddenly and grabbed Scar, pulling him into a tight hug. It was one of the few times I'd seen him display that type of emotion and I felt tears well in my eyes watching them._

_When his Dad left and we'd welcomed a few visitors, things quieted down. I took a short nap while Scar kept hold of Adelle. I woke up slowly but kept my eyes closed, listening to my husband talk to our daughter. "Daddy's got you," he whispered. "Do you know how much I love you? I love you to the moon and back. And I'm always, always going to protect you. You and your Mommy. You see how special Mommy is? She's the greatest woman I've ever known and I love her so much. And we love each other so much that we made you."_

"_Ooh, gross," a voice said from the door. "The kid's not even a day old and you're already giving her the birds and the bees talk?"_

"_Nice to see you too, Sebastian," Scar groaned. I decided not to let my husband have all the fun and rolled over in the bed. Sebastian was carrying a pink teddy bear with three pink balloons in his hands. _

"_Oh, yeah, uh, these are for the baby," he said, shoving them my way. "My Mom said they're from me and Scott."_

_I sat up and took them from him. "Thanks," I smiled. Poor Sebastian looked about as uncomfortable as you would imagine any teenage boy would be visiting a baby in the hospital. _

"_So, um, can I see her?" He shoved his hands in his pockets and I had to hold back a chuckle as Scar growled. _

"_Sure, you can even hold her," I answered. I motioned for him. "Wash your hands and then take a seat," I said, pointing to the seat next to Scar. He followed my directions and put a bit of hand santizer on his hands before he sat down next to Scar, who tightened his grip even more on our daughter. "Scar…" I warned as my husband refused to release his hold on our little girl. It was funny how they both were acting. Scar seemed like he wanted to let Sebastian hold yet and yet not, and Sebastian was the same. He didn't seem really thrilled to want to carry a new born baby, but he was acting like it was something he had to do._

"_Fine," he sighed. Adelle squirmed a little as Scar placed her in Sebastian's waiting arms. "I swear to God, if you even so much as look like you might drop her, I will end you, got it?" _

_I rolled my eyes as Sebastian nodded dutifully, his eyes glued to the sleeping baby. As much as I should've been pissed that Scar was acting like that, it also made me smile. I loved thinking about my husband being so protective of the little angel we'd created and loved. He had been that way throughout my whole pregnancy, always sleeping with a hand protectively laid on my belly. Or the way he would talk to her when he thought I was asleep, always placing the softest of kisses on my stomach as it grew. He took his role as father and protector very seriously and I loved that._

"_Wow, she's really light," Sebastian chuckled to himself. _

"_Yeah, so don't drop her," Scar growled._

_Sebastian actually looked pretty content holding the pink bundled baby in his arms. He cooed and made a few random noises, I think trying to lighten the mood. "Hey, she's waking up," he said with a huge grin. Then, Sebastian froze. It was an unnatural type of freezing and the feeling in the air suddenly changed. It alarmed me somewhat and I looked frantically at Scar, but his stunned attention was completely on Sebastian and Adelle. After what felt like at least ten minutes to me, Sebastian snapped his head up to look at Scar, then me, then Scar, then me. "I'm…I…I couldn't help it, I swear. It just happened, I didn't mean for it to!"_

"_What's he talking about?" I asked, turning to my husband for an explanation. Scar didn't say or do anything. He just stood there looking at Sebastian._

"_Oh God," Scar mumbled._

"_I couldn't—"_

"_Would somebody please tell me what the hell is going on?" I asked, this time with a little more gusto. Watching the staring contest was getting old and I was starting to get worried. _

"_Sebastian, I think you better head out and let me talk to Ava," Scar said._

"_But I—"_

"_I promise you can see her later but right now, I need to talk to my wife," Scar explained to the suddenly terrified teenager. It was all well and good but I was still freaking out a little trying to figure out what the hell was going on._

_Sebastian dutifully handed Adelle over to Scar and with a sullen look on his face turned to me. "Sorry, Ava." Then he turned to Scar. "Bye, Ellie. I'll be back later."_

"_Ellie?" Scar chuckled._

"_Adelle's a mouthful, dude," Sebastian said before finally leaving the room. _

_Almost as soon as the door shut behind him, I could feel myself wanting to hold Adelle, almost needing to, like a momma wolf needing to care for and protect her young. Scar must have sensed it too because without me having to ask, he gently handed the baby to me. I looked down at her, her eyes wide open, her mouth in a small 'o' as she yawned…her eyes wide open…FUCK!_

"_He imprinted, didn't he?" I shouted._

"_Shhh," Scar soothed me. "Scoot over a little," he said and then crawled into the bed next to me. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me to his chest while I cradled our daughter. "This isn't a bad thing."_

_I was almost positive that my husband had been abducted by aliens without me knowing and replaced him with the imposter in my bed. My husband, the fierce wolf, would not react so calmly to his daughter being taken from us at only hours old. "How can you say that?"_

_He sighed loudly and kissed my forehead. "You know why I'm not mad?" I shook my head no, not wanting to leave the warmth and comfort of his arms. "Because, even though I didn't imprint on you, fate just told us that we belong together. Our child, part me, part you, was chosen to be another wolf's imprint. Without us being together that would've never been possible. So see? We belong together, you and me and Ellie."_

_I still huffed a little but I hadn't considered that. Scar having a child with anyone else, imprint or not, wouldn't have created Adelle. We had to be together to be part of the master plan and while I might still be pissed and a little scared by the prospect of my daughter already having her lifelong partner picked for her, I also recognized what the imprint said about our union._

Adelle quickly grew to be the apple of her daddy's eye, as well as her grandfather, and her Uncle Seth who was waiting for the arrival of his own princess. He actually reacted the worst of all the wolves when they found out about the imprint. But after a few talks with Abby and a lot of threats to Sebastian, he warmed to the idea a little.

Life with a baby was different and definitely a lot more complicated but it was also a lot more fun. I didn't take much time off for maternity leave because early on, I could take Adelle, or Ellie as Sebastian and Scar called her, to the office with me. The business, much like the baby, grew faster than I could have imagined. I started out doing small things, parties for the pack, small dinner parties, then that grew to weddings, bar mitzvahs, christenings. But as Adelle and the business grew, I knew I couldn't keep her at the office all day. Luckily for us, Sean, one of Scar's fellow wolves, had imprinted on an awesome daycare owner/coordinator/teacher named Audrey. Audrey had recently opened Toddler Academy. It was more than just a daycare, Audrey made sure she had a good staff, every single one having a degree in education or Early Childhood Development. Her students learned instead of just being babysat. Her being an imprint brought an influx of wolf cubs to her school, including Adelle, Avery, and Magena, AJ and Shanna's little girl. And while, when they were younger, it was mainly just being taken care of, but now the girls were learning words and sign language.

I felt myself thinking about what Ellie might be doing or learning right now as I sat listening to the couple in front of me tell me about their perfect wedding meal. I glanced at the clock before turning to sketching out my ideas for their wedding cake.

"Who is that adorable little cherub in the chef's hat?" the bride asked, pointing to a picture of Adelle behind the counter. Abby bought her a little chef's hat with her name embroidered on it

"That's my daughter, Adelle," I said with a smile. I loved being able to say that. _My__daughter__…_It never got old.

"She's so precious!" the bride squealed. "Oh, Jordan, I can't wait to have babies." I bit my cheek as the groom suddenly looked like he'd seen a ghost. I figured this was probably a discussion they needed to have without their caterer in the room.

We finished up the last of their menu as I glanced at the clock again. It was almost five and I was anxious to get home. "Okay, so I will see you in two weeks to finish up the final preparations and then it's smooth sailing until the big day."

"Thank you! I'm so excited to have you as our caterer!" the bride squealed again as the groom grinned and kissed her forehead.

I waited until I saw they were in their car and safely down the road. "All finished for the day?" my assistant, Jasmine, asked.

"All finished," I answered, closing my book and putting everything away before helping Jasmine with the last of the few dishes and putting the left-over pastries from the display case in the refrigerator.

"Have a good night, Ava," Jasmine said as I locked up the front door.

I got in the car and headed to the familiar building just down the street. It never took long and I was extremely grateful I was only a few blocks away. I parked and walked into the building. I went through the check out process and then through the next set of doors. There she sat, my little ladybug, with a few other kids, listening to one of the teachers read a story. I stood, just watching, for a minute. She was still just as precious to me as she was the first time I held her in my arms.

"Momma!" Adelle caught sight of me as she turned around and ran towards me.

I lifted her up and held her to me. "Hi, Princess!" I kissed her cheeks. "You ready to go home?" She giggled and gave me a sloppy kiss on the cheek while I rocked her back and forth. "Can you tell Ms. Eve bye?" I asked, nodding towards the teacher.

"Bye bye!" Adelle opened her hands and closed them again waving goodbye to her teacher. We got her bag, said goodbye, and made our way to the car, then home.

"You wanna make Daddy a special treat?" I asked the toddler in my arms. I sat the diaper bag down and then brought her into the kitchen with me. She had her own little area of the kitchen, with her rug and her toys that looked like mini mixing bowls and whisks. Luckily, I had put a roast in the slow cooker this morning before work so there wasn't much to do with that. But there was something special I wanted to make for Scar for today.

I set to work while Adelle played on the floor. I knew Scar would be home soon so I had to hurry and get the surprise in the oven and out before he got home. Things had been going well for Scar at Shipo. He loved his job and I loved listening to him talk about the things he was working on, even though I really didn't understand the bike lingo.

I had just pulled the surprise out of the oven when I saw Scar's FJ Cruiser pull into the driveway. While he still had his bike and rode it often, when his Ellie came along, we both decided it would be better to have family friendly cars. I traded in my VW Beetle for a Prius, which I also used as a company car, and Scar bought the FJ. Before our daughter was born, I was pretty sure buying that car was one of the happiest days of his life.

"Daddy!" Adelle yelped as she got off the kitchen floor and ran to the door to greet Scar.

"Ellie!" Scar exclaimed with just as much enthusiasm, scooping her off her feet as she threw her little chubby arms around his neck. "How's my sweet girl today?" Adelle told him about her day, at least that's what I'm assuming she was talking about, since her vocabulary was limited to only a few words. But she seemed to be telling Scar all about it. "Did you see Avie at school? Huh?" Scar bounced her a little and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Where's Mommy?" He pretended to look around for me while Adelle giggled. "There she is!"

"Hi, Daddy," I grinned. Scar wrapped his other arm around me and pulled me to his chest before lifting my chin to kiss my lips.

"Happy Anniversary, Angel," he whispered.

"Happy Anniversary," I said back. I kissed him again and laid my head on his chest. I closed my eyes and sighed. This was the life, of that I was sure. Of course, as is usual, the beeping of the timer in the kitchen interrupted our moment. "I need to get those. Ellie and I are making a surprise for you." I gave him a quick peck on the lips. "So stay away from the kitchen!"

"Yes, ma'am!" He chuckled as he walked up the stairs.

I could hear Scar getting dressed upstairs and I couldn't help but smile as he hummed. The old Scar, the one that I met years ago, he wouldn't hum. He had changed so much over the years. But you know what? I still love him as much as I did the moment our eyes met on that beach. Deep down, though the rough exterior drifted away when he was with Adelle and me, but there were still some things I knew would never change and I never wanted them to. He was still dark and mysterious but what I wouldn't do for one of those Scar smiles.

I put the last few things on the table and fixed Adelle's plate, cutting up the roast and potatoes and carrots. Once the plates and silverware were set out, I walked up behind Scar and wrapped my arms around him. "Dinner's ready," I said.

Dinner was by far my favorite part of the day. It made me think of all the times my family had gathered around our dining table, eating and sharing our days. The Monroe family was no different. I listened as Scar talked about his new projects and he listened while I talked about whatever event I was catering. When I had bad days, they always seemed to fade away when we sat down together at the dinner table.

"Okay, time for your surprise," I smiled, taking Adelle with me to the kitchen, and handing her the small plate. "Happy Anniversary!" I sat her in Scar's lap with her plate, the little peanut butter cookies with grape jelly in the middle.

"Oh wow," Scar took one of cookies off the plate and then helped Adelle sit it down. "These are Megan's cookies, Ellie. Did you know that? They're Daddy's favorites." He kissed her forehead and then took my hand. "Thank you."

"No problem. You know we love baking for you," I told him as he pulled me down to kiss my lips.

He shook his head and cleared his throat. "No, I love the cookies but I'm saying thank you for loving me so much. I was so lost, Angel, and…"

"You saved me," I finished his sentence. For as much as he thought I saved him, he had saved me too.

"Yes," he smiled into another kiss.

Scar did the dishes while I bathed Adelle and dressed her in footsie pajamas. I pressed my nose to her soft hair and breathed in the baby scent. When I walked back down, Scar had just finished. He flipped the switch for the gas fireplace, creating a nice ambiance, and then sat down next to me on the couch. He wrapped his arms around my shoulder and pulled me closer. "Daddy," Adelle turned in my arms and reached for Scar told hold her small hand.

"Love you, Ellie," he said, kissing it. We sat like that for at least an hour, long after Adelle's big brown eyes were closed and she was fast asleep. "Should we take her to her bed?"

I laughed because I knew full well what he meant by putting our daughter in her bed. "Whatever you say, my dear." He took Adelle from my arms and we made our way upstairs. I kissed our baby's cheek. "I'm going to get ready for bed. Meet me in our room?"

"Oh yes," Scar grinned.

I walked towards our room and shut the door behind me. I figured since it was our anniversary, the shorts and tank top I usually slept in should be replaced by something lacy. I rummaged my lingerie drawer for a black nighty. I stripped quickly and pulled the nighty on, brushed my teeth, let my hair down from the bun it had been in all day, and felt a little sexy. Not a lot but a little. I smiled as I looked at myself and thought about how things had changed.

I knew things with Scar and I weren't the conventional relationship in the pack. I wasn't the imprint that fate had chosen for him but we loved each other. Our love defied all kinds of logic but we made it work because we refused to accept anything less than each other. I knew this was where I belonged, this was what my life was supposed to be. Every day was a new day but as long as I had Scar and Adelle, I would gladly face anything. And as I watched his reflection in the mirror as he walked into the room, I couldn't help but smile again. Oh yes, I would gladly face anything. Yes, sir, anything at all.

**Second AN: Thank you so much for sticking with me! Please review!**


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